Somebody's Baby
by IlovetowriteSMP
Summary: A baby is abandoned at a carnival. One teen in town gave birth to her... three people in town become her adopted parents and many more make her part of their family. Both Scrubs and CarJax are featured in this story. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Many GH characters are in this story.**

Characters in this story

Carly, Morgan, Jason, Michael

Bobbie, Emily, Robin

Alexis, Liz, Monica, Patrick

Jax, Felicia, Georgie, Kyle, Maxie,

Diego, Noah, Max, Anna,

Lucky, Milo, Dillon, Lulu,

Chapter One

**Summer of 2007**

**The carnival was in full swing**. And it seemed like all of Port Charles was there. It was being sponsored by General Hospital to raise money for AIDS research.

"Mom it's my turn on the Ferris wheel." Morgan said

"Can you take him, Jase?" Carly asked

"All right. Come on, big guy."

Michael was a few feet away buying cotton candy. When he returned to Carly's side they wandered behind the vendors carts to an area where picnic tables were set up.

A baby's cry pierced the air.

There was no one at any of the tables.

_Hmmm, I know I heard a baby_.She thought

She heard the cry again. It was dark, except for the neon lights on the rides. She moved around the tables and **then spotted a large brown picnic basket**. She looked inside and saw a baby, a newborn if her guess was right.

"It's okay, sweetie, I'll get you out of here." Carly said as her eyes swept over the small body wrapped in a towel.

Carly's spirit was rocked at the realization that this child was discarded. Everything in her shook at the thought of how wrong it was that this could happen to a child.

Michael said, in a shocked voice, "No way, there can't be a baby in there!"

Carly carried the basket back to the Ferris Wheel where she saw Jason and Morgan getting off the ride.

"Oh my god, look at this, Jase. Someone abandoned this little baby girl. Who would do something like that?"

**Hours later, at General Hospital**, Bobbie came into the waiting room. She told Mac, Carly and Jason."The baby is doing well. It looks like she less than 24 hours old. She must not have been outside long because she isn't suffering from exposure. And the warm weather helped that, too."

Jason asked, "So what happens to her now?"

Bobbie said, "Child Services had been notified but they can't send anybody for a few days. She'll have to stay here I suppose."

"That's so sad." Carly said "She needs a family tonight. No child should spend even one night without having any parents to call their own."

**At the same time, Emily was **staring at the baby. She had been assigned to take her vital signs every hour to monitor her but Emily was too transfixed by the child's adorable little face, tiny hands, soft wisps of hair to complete her task. She couldn't even breath because this baby was so beautiful. And her story so sad. Who could throw away their baby?

Robin came into the room. "Is she stabilized?"

"She's perfect." whispered Emily in a voice filled with awe

Robin peered down at the infant. Her skin was pale white, her hair a very light shade of brown. Her medical chart said she was full term and healthy.

And all alone.

Emily snapped out of her trance and said, "I should get back to work."

Robin barely heard her leave. She whispered to the baby, "You'll find a family soon. Don't worry, little one. There will be people fighting to get the chance to love you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Summer of 2007**

"Oh hell no!" Alexis said "There is no way you are taking that baby home with you."

"Who asked you?" Carly shot back "Don't you have a doctors appointment to get to?"

They were standing near the nurses station at the hospital a few days later. The social worker, Mrs. Walker, was standing nearby.

"You already have two children who you expose to danger on a daily basis. I think that is quite enough!" Alexis told Carly

Mrs. Walker said, " I would have to do a home study on anyone who petitioned for temporary custody."

Carly glared at Alexis. But her voice was calm when she addressed the social worker. " I only brought it up because my mother, Nurse Barbara Spencer, mentioned that you are lacking enough families for all the foster children you have. I have a spare bedroom in my home and would be happy to care for the baby."

"Do they make" Alexis asked "bullet proof vests for newborns?"

**Elizabeth walked **off the elevator. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Walker. Is it time for Angel Baby to go home already?"

Liz was familiar with the social worker because she often had to come to the hospital when abused children were brought in.

"We were just discussing that." Mrs. Walker said "There isn't a foster family available right now so she may have to go to a group home."

Liz made a horrified face. "Oh, no."

Quickly the social worked assured her, "It's not that bad.. But certainly not an ideal placement."

"It's not good enough." Carly said

"I could take her home with me." Alexis chimed in

"Your kids are in just as much danger as mine." Carly said

"I wish," Liz said " I could bring her home. She's a beauty. And it's so sad that she was abandoned. But my apartment barely fits me and my kids."

"I need to go speak to administration about her paperwork." Mrs. Walker said "if any of you ladies decide to file for guardianship or know someone who would like to contact my office. If not we are still trying to locate her biological family so maybe she won't be in the group home for long."

**Monica was sitting in a rocking **chair with Angel baby, as the staff dubbed her, in her arms. Infants needed to be held and Monica loved to volunteer to do it.

She hadn't ever gotten to play grandmother to any children, except for the few months Michael lived with the Quatermaines. And she longed to have a baby around to spoil.

_Too bad,_ she thought, _Emily and Nikolas broke up or they could have adopted this sweet little girl._

Robin entered the room. "How is my Angel girl doing?"

"Wonderful." Monica said

Robin smiled down at the baby.

Monica said, "Have you ever thought of adopting?"

Robin blushed, "I've thought about it. But my lifestyle is not conducive to having a child. I live with two roommates, have a on-again off-again boyfriend and work 80 hours a week. I can't be anyone's mother right now."

"All babies require are love. I think you'd be a great mom." Monica stood up and put the baby in her arms.

"What are you doing? I have work to get back to."

"She needs a bottle." Monica said and left the room, smiling. She passed Patrick who was approaching the nursery

Robin smiled at the baby. "Awww, angel girl, I wish I could take you home. But I just can't."

Patrick said, "What a sight. My two favorite girls in the world."

**Across town, her **birth mother was sitting at the picnic bench. "I had to do it." she whispered "You're better off."

_Author's note- I have already written a lot of this fic, but not all of it, so I know who I have chosen to adopt the baby and who is her birth mom. But feel free to tell me in your reviews who you are rooting for to be her adoptive parents and birth parents._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Author' s note- Thanks for all the reviews. You are all awesome for taking the time to comment.

**Mrs. Walker got a emergency **phone call to go and take custody of three children whose mother was arrested for possessing cocaine. The social worker left the hospital, unable to transfer Angel baby to the group home. Mrs. Walker spent the rest of that day taking the three children to their grandmother's house and getting them settled in.

**Carly banged on Jason's **door.

"What's wrong?' he asked as soon as he opened it.

"I need your help." She said walking in "Do you think you could kidnap a baby from the hospital nursery and not get caught?"

"Whoa, slow down. What's going on?"

"Angel baby is about to be placed in a group home. And I can't let that happen."

Jason saw the pain on her face. "Sit down and let's figure this out."

Once they were both seated he said, "Wouldn't adopting her be easy than committing a felony?"

"I'm not fit, according to the social worker. All those times you and Sonny were in the paper for shooting people or getting shot. And that time I shot Tony then faked crazy. And I shot at those pictures at Sonny's and went crazy for real. Well all of that kind of gave her the wrong idea about me and my lifestyle.'

"I'm sorry. But we can't kidnap that kid. The cops would notice when you start pushing her around town in a stroller."

Carly smiled. "Oh, give me some credit. I have that figured out. I'll dye her hair and tell people it was a foreign adoption."

He shook his head at her."That would never work! Forget it, Carly."

"I can't." her voice dropped, sadness took over her face. "I see her and I see me as a baby. I can't just give up on her."

Jason studied her face. He saw that she needed this. "Okay, then we need to find someone we know to adopt her. So you can watch her grow up and know she's okay."

Carly bit her lip. "But who?"

**An hour later, Emily **walked into the nursery and checked on every baby. Saving the best for last, she looked down at Angel Baby. She placed her finger in the baby's hand.

"Hey, sweet girl, how are you doing today? I heard you are leaving here tomorrow. Now don't be scared. I know you are going to find your way to a wonderful family. I once lost my mama but I wasn't alone. I became part of a huge family with lots of love to go around. And you will too. I promise you. You're going to be someone's treasured little girl."

**Robin and Patrick **were curled up together on her bed, watching CNN.

"Turn that off, "Patrick said softly as he dropped a kiss on her neck, "it's too depressing."

"But it's real." Robin said "Look at this story. Child killed by father who was denied custody. Now what sense does that make? He can't have custody so he kills his own kid?"

Patrick could her how upset she was. He asked, "Are you worked up about the news? Or the baby at the hospital?"

"Both! It's just not right. And I can't do a damn thing about it."

"You could bring Angel Baby here."

Robin turned and looked in his eyes. This man who claimed to despise commitment was advocating she take on a life long one?"

"You feel like playing Daddy, Patrick?"

He chuckled. " I never said anything about me. But you could take care of her. Save one kid from this messed up world."

Robin looked back and the TV screen. She said softly, "You know I can't."

"Why? You're viral load is non detectable. You have more energy than most people I know. Except me, of course."

"Oh yeah, you're Superman." she joked dryly

"Hey!" he said pulling her down so he could angle his body over her. He smiled and gave her a quick kiss.." You're the **_only _**one who has ever had any complaints."

She joked back, "Do the other girls you've been with have a high enough IQ to even string together complete sentences?"

"Don't hate, Robin." he said with a sexy smile.

He kissed her slowly this time, changing the mood, bringing out all her emotions of love and trust she felt for him.

Then he said, "I really think you should bring that baby girl home."

**Meanwhile in her cramped **apartment Elizabeth rocked her baby daughter. Cameron and Cara shared a bedroom while Liz still slept on the fold out couch.

Knock. Knock.

She was too exhausted to get up and she didn't want to wake Cara so she called out, "Who is it?"

"Lucky."

"Come in."

He put his key in the lock and entered. "How is she?"

"Your daughter is wonderful."

"And her mother?"

_Tired and lonely_, Liz thought. _And sad_.

Sad that life could be so cruel as to allow a woman to leave her baby in the park. Even though it was hard to raise two kids without a father living in the home for them she would never give away her children.

When Liz didn't answer Lucky sat down next to her and said, "Tell me what's wrong."

"Life is just not fair." Liz said "And I am sick of just sitting back and not doing anything about it. I don't want to raise these kids alone. And I don't want Angel baby to disappear into the system and for us to never know if she is being taken care of. I want better than that for her and for us."

"Are you saying you want me back and you want to adopt another child?" Lucky asked

Liz met his eyes.

She saw the boy he once was, and the man who slept with Maxie Jones and hurt her. She saw her love and her husband.

Liz nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**The next day**

**Mac stood before **the cameras and announced " If anyone has any information on the identity of this child or her parents please contact the Port Charles police department."

He walked away from the media and into his office. Lucky followed him.

"You didn't mention the picnic basket." Lucky said "Someone might recognize it."

"It's just a ordinary wicker basket." Mac said distracted

"But I still think-"

Annoyed Mac snapped at him "You haven't been back on duty long enough to think anything, Spencer. You worry about staying clean and let me do the thinking."

"Fine. I have some leads to follow up." Lucky walked out and Mac sat down behind his desk.

_It's just an ordinary picnic basket_, he told himself

**So what if it looks just like one that Georgie, Lulu and Maxie took to the beach last summer. And he hadn't seen back at the house since. **

**So what that it had the same ornamental gold clasp as the picnic basket Mariah sent Felicia from Texas?**

_It's not the same one_, he told himself.

He dialed Felicia. "Hey, hon." he said when she picked up "Where's Georgie?"

"In her room studying, as usual. I've barely seen her face since she came home from Harvard Sunday morning."

Mac thought, _The baby was found Saturday night._

Felicia continued, "You don't think we pushed her too hard into transferring there, do you?"

"She deserves the best education available to her. You don't know any world renowned neurosurgeons who come from Port Charles University, do you?"

"I guess not. I just hope she's happy. She seems so stressed. And this is summer vacation. What was she like at school?"

Mac said, "Georgie can handle it. She's a strong girl. Our good girl."

"You're right, hon. As usual. Will you be home soon?"

"Not for a while. We have to work this baby abandonment case hard for the first week or else any leads that are out there might dry up. I just called to check on you two. Can you go into Georgie's room and just make sure she is alright?"

"Why wouldn't she be?"

Mac didn't want to say, _Because she might have just given birth to baby and left it in the park._

He immediately shook the thought out of her mind and replaced it with _Georgie isn't a person who could do that_, he thought, _It wasn't my Georgie_.

He said, "Just make me feel better and check in on her. She is staying hidden in that room and we barely know what is going through her mind these days."

And what went unsaid between Mac and Felicia was, _We can't lose Georgie like we did Maxie_.

**September 30, 2006**

**Maxie was feeling no pain. The alcohol warmed her from the inside out. The little white pills, who knows what they were( she hadn't asked Kyle when he offered them) but they made her feel invincible.**

**She pressed herself closer to her ex-boyfriend on the dance floor. She thought, _I don't need Lucky to love me. I don't need him at all. I have all I need right here._**

**Kyle grabbed her ass and squeezed. She kissed his neck, then spun around and let his hands moved over her stomach and breasts, as she raised her arms and shook her body to the incessant beat of the rap music that blared through the warehouse. It was so loud that it was all bass, no words, but that made it better. There was nothing to concentrate on but lust and, the way she felt tonight, that was all she could handle.**

**Later, when the lights came on, reality hit her full force for a moment. She could see the other young people around her looking wasted. Her buzz began to wear off. A thumping immediately started behind her eyes.**

**Only another drink would cure this feeling, she knew from experience.**

**Kyle grabbed her hand and lead her out the back door and down the alley. The sun was just coming up and other people from the club, looking like the walking dead, bumped against them as they funneled into the alley and toward the parking lot.**

**Maxie was leaning heavily on Kyle, feeling tired and massively drunk. But Kyle was not a stabilizing force, he never had been for her, and as this night faded into the next day he was just as drunk and out his mind as her.**

**He pushed her against a dumpster and gave her a sloppy kiss, not caring that everyone passing by could watch him paw her. He said, "Let's go get a room somewhere."**

**She nodded.**

**They drove fast down the side streets out of town, heading for the interstate where the cheapest motels were. Maxie closed her eyes and laid her head on the cold window. **

**For a moment she felt okay.**

**Kyle reached over and put his hand on her thigh, pushed up her skirt, and his fingers moved over her. Her eyes remained closed. Better to just ignore this. No need to think about why she had been happy to run into Kyle tonight, no need to remember that he represented drugs and madness and all the things her family told her to stay away from. And he didn't love her. But then no man, other than Jesse, ever had.**

"**Shit," Kyle muttered as he slammed on the brakes. The car slid sideways and then smashed into something, momentarily slowing. Then they were sliding again, circling and finally, just when Maxie was sure that this was it, that death was here, they came to a stop.**

**She was bleeding from a wound on her head. She touched the broken skin on her forehead. Then she brought her fingers down and stared at them, stared at the blood, her blood. **

**Proof she was still alive. _That's good, I guess _she thought in a daze.**

**Kyle was already out of the car. She turned and looked through the back window and saw him standing over a body in the road.**

**Then he was running back to the car and jumping into the drivers seat.**

"**Who was that?" asked Maxie "Is he okay?"**

**Kyle put the car in gear and said, "No."**

**He pushed down on the gas and they flew down the street again. A car turned onto the road and passed right by them. **

**Maxie locked eyes with the person driving it, Diego Alcazar, and then kept her focus on him as he continued down the road, his brake lights came on, and he stopped and climbed out of his car. He stood over the body.**

**Then Diego's head shot up and he was watching Kyle's car fade into the distance.**

"**You have to go back." Maxie said**

"**I am getting the hell out of this town. One more run in with the cops and I'll have three strikes. You can come with if you want. Or stay here and take the fall on your own."**

"**I wasn't even driving!"**

"**Whatever, Maxie. It is your car which you LET me drive. But tell your daddy you're innocent and I am sure he will save you."**

**Maxie knew he would but she hated the thought of telling Mac about this. She knew she would see utter disappointed and shame in her parents eyes. A familiar look they gave her lately.**

"**Where are you going?" she asked**

"**Anywhere but here."**

"**Works for me." She pulled out her cell phone and called Georgie.**

**She left the message, "I'm leaving town. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry. It's better like this. Love you little sis." Her voice broke a little on the last word but she pushed the tears back. She was getting very good at that. Not feeling. Numb was becoming normal.**

**She looked over at Kyle and realized she was stuck with him.**

**And then Maxie Jones rolled down the window, tossed the phone out, and cut all ties with Port Charles.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Summer 2007**

Carly stood outside the nursery, staring through the glass at the baby.

Jax walked up and said, gently, " I thought I would find you here. You haven't been to work in days."

Softly Carly said, "She's all alone, Jax."

"No, she's not." he tried to comfort her "The whole hospital has fallen in love with Angel baby.

"But she is still without a family to call her own. And it just reminds me of when I was born. I could have been her if my adoptive parents didn't take me in."

"Bobbie made sure you weren't like her though."

Carly finally tore her eyes away from the baby and looked at Jax. "Exactly! So why didn't that little girls mother do the same? Who leaves their baby in a park?"

With tears in her eyes, she asked again "Who _does_ that?"

Jax gave her a hug and then said, "Probably a confused teenager."

"There is not enough confusion in the world to make me do what she did." Carly said "I'm just so angry that a mother could do this. A child needs a mother. And a father. It leaves a huge hole when you don't have that. And Angel baby could really make someone's life better. Someone who longs for a child of their own. Hey! That's it."

"What?"

Carly smiled at him. "You should adopt her."

**Emily **walked into Wyndermere.Nikolas looked up from his place behind his desk, seeing his ex-wife a smile broke out on his face.

"Alfred let me in." she said "I hope I'm not interrupting your work. I should have called."

"Nonsense. You know I'm here for you whenever you need anything, Em." he stood up and walked over to her.

"I hope you mean that, Nik, because I need some help. There's this baby at the hospital. She was abandoned."

Nik told her, "I saw the news coverage. It's pitiful that a woman would do that. And what about the father? Where was he that she felt so alone?"

"I know. And this child is gorgeous. Everyone who sees her loves her. I can't stand the thought of her going to a group home."

"What are you thinking we can do about it?"

Emily titled her head to the side. "Tell me if I am crazy for thinking about adopting her."

**Robin was standing at the nurses station **at the hospital. A patient file sat open in front of her but the look in her eyes was faraway.

Patrick came up behind her and said, "Thinking about me? Is that what put that dreamy look on your face, Doctor Scorpio?"

Robin said, "Huh?"

"Have you heard any news?"

"Tell me I did the right thing." she said, her voice a ball of nerves.

"You did the right-"

Before Patrick could finish the sentence Robin spun around and started ranting,

"What was I thinking turning in that application for temporary custody? I'm not prepared to mother a kitten let alone a baby! Why did you tell me I could do this? I should have started with a gerbil or a plant. Yeah, a plant would be about right. That is what people do. They start with something smaller so if..."

Patrick placed a hand on her arm. "You can do this."

She stopped and looked in his eyes.

"You're going to be great at this." he said

A small smile came on her face. But she said, softly, "You could be completely wrong, though."

"I'm never wrong. Haven't you learned that by now?"

"You're ego is out of this world."

"Only slightly smaller than yours, I would say."

"Not hardly!"

"Oh. Poor Robin are you suffering from low self esteem today?"

"I didn't say that. Why do you always twist my words?" She was smiling now and not freaking out just like Patrick had hoped would happen.

**A day later**, **Mrs. Walker **was sitting at her desk. Her office had received several calls about adopting Angel baby but only two people filled out the forms.

She looked down at the two applications, studying them in detail. Neither applicant was married. Both had the financial means to care for a child.

She called each person and left them a message to set up immediate home studies. She would stop by each residence this afternoon. And then meet with both perspective families in the morning at 9 am.

By tomorrow night, Angel Doe would be sleeping in her own bed in her new home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Felicia and Georgie ate dinner in strained silence. Mac was working overtime. Usually Georgie chatted nonstop to fill all the silences left by maxie not being there but tonight she just didn't have the energy.

_This is not the life I ever thought I would lead_, Georgie thought, _But there is no going back now._

Felicia put down her fork and said, "Talk to me, honey. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. Why would you ask that?"

"Every since you came home something has been bothering you. Is it Harvard? If you are unhappy..."

"I love it there, " Georgie lied

"Then what is it? Are you missing your sister?"

Georgie hated when the subject of maxie came up. Her parents wore a look in their eye like their daughter had died instead of moved away without leav ing a forwarding address. She plastered on a fake smile and lied some more. "No, it's not that. I have a little headache but everything is great otherwise. Dillon and I have never been happier. In fact, I should go and get changed because we have a date later."

She stood up and took her plate to the sink, rinsed it and set it in the dishwasher. Then she kissed her mother on the cheek and left the room. Once she was alone the smile slid from her face, replaced by a look of exhaustion and misery.

**Lulu walked into **Kelly's and immediately regretted it. Dillon was sitting at the first table inside the door. She turned to walk back out but he said, "Too late. I've already seen you. You might as well say hi."

She had been in town less than a week and had been mainly keeping out of sight that whole time.

_Great_, she thought, _the first time I venture out and I have to deal with this_.

She put on a strained smile and turned around. "Hey, how have you been? Good? Alright. Talk to you later."

She turned to leave again.

"Sit, Lulu." Dillon said

She froze. She had left town last fall to not have to deal with this, with looking at him and seeing all that had happened written on his face. Seeing a reflection that said, whether he wanted it to or not, _You messed everything up, girl._

But this was life in a small town. Your past walked by you everyday. Better to just deal with it and move on.

She joined him at the table. And in her mind she heard a baby cry.

He said, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

_Just excruciating_, she thought, _thanks for asking._

But she said, "Not that bad at all. So you wanted to talk?"

"Well I think we should be able to, don't you?"

"Sure. How was school for you this year?" Lulu asked

"Long. Hard. Business is not the thrill film making was."

"Because you are a natural film maker."

"But it won't pay the bills. Do you know how many failed film makers there are in the world? Go to New York or LA and you trip over them. There's one on every corner."

"So, business is safe. I get that. But you never liked safe before."

Dillon said softly, "I never knew real risk before."

_Okay this is getting into dangerous territory_, she thought

If he added the three little words _Or real loss _to his sentence she feared she would break down in tears right here in the middle of the diner.

_I want to put this behind me, _she thought_, but I guess I will never escape what I have done as long as I am in this town_.

Dillon said, "And what about you? Was Miami all you hoped it would be? What exactly were you doing there?"

"Living." And she had. Though she was alone with only a pocket ful of cash and a credit card from Nikolas to support herself she had finally felt safe instead of scared.

Because alone she could just feel her feelings. Cry if she wanted. Rage at the world. Try to figure it all out. She didn't have to worry if Luke was going to leave town and her. If Dillon was going to choose Georgie over her again. Because she had left them. She had made the choice.

**Dillon was dying **for more details but he simply asked, "Did you miss Port Charles?"

_Did you miss me? _he wanted to ask

He had been glad to see her go. Looking at her_ hurt_. He saw a baby that would never be born in her eyes. But then Georgie left town too and he was without his closest friends. Dillon had time to think. And though he figured he would think about his ex-wife instead he thought of Lulu

Pushing a strand of blond hair out of her eyes, she said "I was too busy to miss it."

"Well, you look good, Lu."

"You too." she stood up and said, "Enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to get some coffee to go."

Dillon smiled and nodded as she walked away. He opened the paper sitting in front of him and saw a picture of a newborn that had been abandoned.

All he could think was, _My baby could have looked just like her_.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jax couldn't believe Carly had talked him into this. He sat in the social workers office, sweating in his thousand dollar suit and thinking, _This woman could make me a father._

All Mrs. Walker had to do was say a few words and he would go from single bachelor to committed for life to another person. A daughter. His heart melted a little bit more each time he thought about it.

But Mrs. Walker wasn't saying the words he hoped to hear. "Mr. Jacks, you should know there is another candidate."

Just then there was a soft knock on the door. Mrs. Walker said, "Come in."

The door opened and, in slow motion for Jax, he watched Robin walk in and greet them both.

She said, "I hope I am not interrupting."

"Miss Scorpio, Jasper Jacks has also expressed interest in fostering Angel Doe."

Robin's eyes got wide. Her heart started to beat rapidly. _He can't have my baby_! she thought

She looked at him and said, "I didn't realize you wanted to be a single dad."

He said, "I've longed for kids for a while. And it just seemed like kismet when Angel baby came into my life."

Robin knew the feeling well.

"So?" Robin asked looking at Mrs. Walker

The social worker said, "Both of you are equally qualified. I wanted to first give you the opportunity to talk to each other and see if one of you might want to retract your application. Sometimes, in situations such as this, people only apply because they can not stand the thought of the child not having a good home. Now that you see that the baby will be well cared for maybe one of you would like to withdraw your name?"

Robin and Jax looked at each other.

Jax said, "Could we have a few minutes alone?"

Mrs. Walker said, "Of course." She stood up " I know this is highly unusual. But when I read over both your applications I noticed you listed each other as references. Since you are obviously close friends I thought you might come to a mutually agreeable decision."

When she left the room, Robin stood up and started pacing.

Jax said, "I'm sorry, Robin. I would have never applied if I knew you wanted her."

"I don't even know if I can do this."

" Of course you can. You have so much love inside of you that mothering will be second nature."

Robin stopped walking and looked at him. "Are you saying you would step back and let me have her?"

Jax's mouth dropped.

**At the hospital, Carly**was holding the baby. She said, "I found you a home. There was no way I was just going to let some social worker take you to God knows where and not know if you had a good life."

In a baby voice she said, "No, I couldn't do that to you, my smoochie face baby."

She kissed the baby's forehead. She said, in her normal voice, "Your daddy will take good care of you. Your going to get the best of everything. And most of all you will have love. Your going to be loved every minute of your life and I'm going to be right there to make sure of it."

**Nikolas stepped off **the elevator at the hospital. He scanned the immediate area for Emily but only saw Epiphany standing behind the desk.

He carried a bouquet of flowers.

She said, " Miss Quatermaine isn't scheduled to work till later this afternoon."

"Can you make sure she gets these?"

"Of course." Once Nikolas left Epiphany peeked at the card.

_Emily_

_You already have a baby that loves you. After work come and see Spencer and make him and me smile. Love still and always. Nikolas._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Are you saying you would step back and let me have her?" Robin asked Jax

Jax hesitated. He knew Robin would be a wonderful influence on a child. Angel baby would be lucky to have her. And he could see how much Robin wanted this, yet was afraid to want this, written all over her face.

Though his body felt colder already, his life emptier, he said "Yes, I'll retract my petition. But I hope you will let me be her Uncle Jax."

"Of course!" Robin hurried over and hugged him.

Jax said, "Congrats, little mama, it's a girl."

Jax went straight home. He could have gone to work and tried to concentrate on business. He could have called Carly and let her comfort him.

But he wanted to be alone.

His mind replayed a conversation he had with Carly. They were at her house the night she first suggested adopting Angel.

_Was that only a few days ago_? he wondered

It felt like years now.

_Carly sat next to him on the couch and took his hand. "I know you said you'd think about it but let me explain why I think you need to do this."_

_She took a deep breath and started to plea, "This is not about you. Although I know you want children and will be a good dad. This is about Angel Baby though. She was thrown away. And even if you think that she will never remember it since she was so young that is not true. She might not remember the feeling of being in that picnic basket. But she will always carry with her a sense that she was disposable. Even if no one tells her the truth about her birth she will feel it. I did. And then if she does not have a good man in her life, a dad she can rely on, to make her believe she is worth something she will turn to some other man when she is old enough and hope he will fill the void. You could save her from that. And maybe if another family takes her she will be okay. Maybe. But maybe is hard to sleep with at night. I need to know she is getting what she needs in order to fill up some of that endless hole she'll have, like I do, that comes when you start off life unwanted."_

"_But won't she need a mother?"_

"_I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here for whatever she needs, if you let me. But I am not doing this for me. If you and I break up and you remarry then I won't try and stop Angel from bonding with your wife. As long as she is not a raging bitch monster or something."_

"_I'll try not to marry one of those."_

"_Good."_

"_I want to know that Angel is safe as much as you do."_

"_Then make her safe. Bring her home."_

Jax walked into the spare bedroom in his apartment. This is where John, Spencer now, once slept. This would have been Angel's room.

_But Robin will do right by her, _Jax thought_, and I couldn't deny Angel the chance to be raised by a married couple. _

Robin and Patrick were alter bound, Jax believed, while him and Carly were far from it. They had thought about marriage last Christmas and decided that it wasn't in the cards for them. Dating was enough for now.

_And I can still be around Angel, all the time, as her Uncle Jax._

The last two words stuck in his mind. He tried to push down his disappointment but it felt like a lump lodged in his throat that would not go away.

**Emily walked **into the living room at Wyndermere and heard a baby laughing. She called out, "Hello?"

"Down here."

She walked around the couch and saw Nikolas and Spencer on a blanket on the floor. The sight made her heart melt. The one year old reached out for her.

Emily say down and picked up Spencer. "How has my boy been today? Good. I hope so. I missed you, Spency."

"We missed you, too." Nikolas said, his voice low and sexy.

Their eyes met. Emily and Nik had been dating for a while again but staying away from the subject of marriage.

"Thanks for the flowers." she said "I guess you're right. I shouldn't adopt right now. I need a husband before I have a kid."

Nikolas reached out and touched her leg."Stay here with us and you can have both."

**Carly looked up when someone **entered the nursery, expecting to see Jax, but it was Robin. Carly didn't bother to say hi. She just looked back down at Angel Baby.

"It's time for her to go home." Robin said softly

Carly looked back up. "Is Jax in the hallway?"

"No. I'm taking her home with me."

"Says who?"

"The social worker. And don't you dare get huffy and upset my daughter."

"Just like that she's now your daughter?"

"I suppose you have some ugly comment you want to throw at me about how I won't live long enough to raise her so I shouldn't have her at all?"

"Will you?"

"You are not really asking me that, are you, Carly?"

Carly stood and placed the baby in her bed. She pointed to the hall and Robin and her went out there.

Carly said, "What happened to Jax applying to adopt her?"

"I've spoken to him. He supports this decision."

Carly rolled her eyes. "You always do this stuff! Con men by batting your big brown eyes. Playing Saint Robin. Jax wanted her. He loves her already."

"And he will be part of her life."

Carly sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "This sucks."

Robin said, "I will be good to her. She'll have a good home. Isn't that all that matters?"

"Good is not nearly good enough for her. I want the best, Robin." Carly bit her lip.

In her heart she knew Robin would provide a stable home and be a Betty Crocker mom. She would be old fashioned and strict. That was just Robin. But Carly feared she was being pushed out of Angel Baby's life.

And Carly knew she could help that child to cope with feelings of rejection.

In a soft voice, Carly added, "Don't ever let her feel not enough in your eyes. Don't let her think that because her mom threw her out that she is trash. Because she will think that if you don't tell her different. Show her she is better than that." Carly's eyes shone with unshed tears.

Robin was touched by the show of emotion from Carly. She whispered, "I promise I will."

"You better."

Robin smiled, "As long as we live in the same town I bet I'll be getting tons of this unsolicited advice, won't I?"

Carly turned and stared through the glass at the baby. "Count on it."

Author's note- Thanks for all the reviews. More chapters to come soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's note- This story was inspired by two different things. The first is where the title comes from- the song Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne.

She's got to be somebody's baby  
She must be somebody's baby  
She's got to be somebody's baby  
She's so fine ...

She's probably somebody's only light  
Gonna shine tonight  
Yeah, she's probably somebody's baby, all right

Also the novel Lace, which was made into a mini series, inspired me. In it a woman goes looking for her birth mother. She ends up finding out her mother was one of three women who went to boarding school together. The three women had worked together to hide the pregnancy and made the doctor who delivered the baby vow to never tell which one gave birth.

The famous first line in the novel Lace, written by Shirley Conran, reads

"Which one of you btches is my mother?"

Anyway on to this chapter-

Chapter nine

Noah walked into the hospital cafeteria and spotted his son.

He walked over, grabbed a tray and stood behind Patrick. "I hear congratulations are in order, new daddy Drake."

"Robin is the one who is adopting. So she is the one who gets the well wishes." Patrick told his father. Then, looking at the cafeteria worker he ordered, "Tofu Burger please."

"How can you eat that?" asked Noah. He ordered, "Two slices of pepperoni pizza. Thanks."

They grabbed drinks , Patrick had organic milk and Noah had Mountain Dew, paid and then went and sat down.

Noah said, "You're in Robin's life, son. If she gets a kid. Guess what? You got a kid."

"Not really. The only change in my life will be learning the numbers of a nanny and a couple of babysitters so Robin can get out every once in a while."

Noah laughed, "You poor deluded fool."

Patrick scowled at him and took a bite of his burger. It got stuck in his throat and he grabbed the milk.

"Did you try and talk Robin out of this?" Noah asked

"I talked her into it, actually." He took another drink.

"Hmmm. So you **_are ready _**for a wife and kid then. Good."

Patrick choked on his milk. When he recovered, and wiped his mouth with a napkin, he said "Eating lunch with you is hazardous for my health."

Noah ate some of his pizza while his kid glared at him. Finally Noah said, "Listen, if it makes any difference, when I got married and then you were born my life started. It was the best thing I ever did. But I didn't know it was going to be. I just couldn't live without your mom so I went along for the ride. It's been the best ride of my life. You should give it a go."

"You watch too much Oprah." Patrick said "You sound like a girl."

But inside he thought, _Maybe, one day, I will give that ride a try._ And in his mind he saw Robin holding Angel baby.

**Carly used her key to enter **Jax's apartment. She walked around, looking in each room for him, and found him in his home gym.

Sweat glistening on his bare chest as he punched a body bag.

Carly leaned against the door frame and said, "I'm sorry. I never would have suggested you adopt her if I knew it would end up this way. I didn't mean to cause you another loss."

Jax hit the bag again. And again.

"It's okay to be upset." Carly said softly

Jax stopped, breathing hard, he ripped off his gloves and threw them on the ground.

Calmly but with pain in his voice he said, "Angel was never mine. But, yeah, you're right. It does hurt, Carly. I guess it's just the loss of... hope and what could have been that kills the most. But I should be used to it by now, right?"

She moved over to him and, ignoring how sweaty he was, hugged him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Max walked towards Jake's Bar. It was after 11 pm at night and he had just gotten off work.

He saw a purse lying on the ground by a dumpster and went to pick it up.

"Hey, back off, that's mine." said a female voice from the shadows.

Max looked around the dumpster and saw a young woman sitting on the ground, her knees bent, her blonde hair a mess. She sounded slightly drunk and very pissed off.

"Miss Jones?"

She stood up and peered at him. "Oh yeah, I know you. You're one of Sonny's gaurds, right? Mark? Mick?"

"Max. Are you okay Miss Jones?"

"No, I'm very far from okay. But don't worry about me. I have survived worse than an alley outside of a dive bar." Maxie said " I was just taking a breather before I walk home."

Max studied her face, the anger mixed with sadness, the bitterness in her eyes, the don't mess with me tilt of her jaw.

_This girl is in trouble_, he thought

"Do you need help? A ride home?"

She looked him up and down and then said, "Why the hell not?"

He lead her to his car, opened the door to the passenger side and said, "After you, Miss Jones."

She slid in and gave him directions.

When they starting driving she asked "What is up with the Miss Jones stuff?"

"Just trying to be polite."

"Oh you are one of _those_. One of the so called good guys. _Great_." Her voice made it clear that those type of men bored her to tears. "Could you cool it with the Miss Jones? It makes me sound... _respectable_. And I am not that by a long shot."

"You're too young to be so..."

"Jaded?" she asked

"And bitter."

"Don't kill me with compliments, Max. I can take the truth."

"Truthfully, then, you should lighten up on the beating yourself up. It must be tiring."

"You don't know the half of it."

They drove in silence for while. Finally Max asked, "So did you go away to college? I haven't seen you around town for months."

"College?" Maxie laughed. "You must be thinking of Georgie. The studious smart Jones girl. No, Max, I wasn't at college. I was at... life. And it sucked big time."

"Sorry to hear that, M. J."

She smiled at him. "Nickname number two?"

"You like it better?"

"Yeah."

He smiled at her. They rode in silence for a while longer.

She said, "You can let me off here."

Max pulled the car over and looked out the window. "There's nothing here but an empty rail yard."

"I can walk the rest of the way." Maxie climbed out and then, looking back in, said "Thanks. It was cool of you to do this."

Max got out of the car. "Hey, let me get a hotel room."

Maxie's heart dropped. He was just like the rest of the men she ever met. Except Jesse.

_All men want from me is sex_, she thought

"I don't think so." she said stiffly

He said, "Please. I won't be able to sleep if I think you are out her alone. You don't have to pay me back for the hotel. Or I could take you to your parents house. How about that? Just don't sleep on the streets."

Maxie sighed_. He's sweet_, she thought

"I'll be fine on my own. I always am." she said and then walked away.

Max watched her slip through a slit in a broken chain link fence and disappear into the shadows of the darkened lot.

**Robin carried her daughter **into her apartment for the first time. Neither Kelly nor Lainey were home.

Robin looked around and realized she didn't have anything the baby needed. Even though she was normally so organized this becoming a mother overnight had thrown her for a loop.

She called Anna.

"Mom, I'm sending out a S. O. S. Can you rally the troops and come to my place right away?"

"Of course. Are you okay, baby?"

_Baby_, Robin thought. _I'm my mom's baby still yet I'm holding my own baby._

"You remember that infant that was abandoned a few days ago? Guess what? I just started proceedings to adopt her. She's here with me right now."

Anna squealed happily "I'm a grandmother!"

"Yeah and I am a mom . But I don't have anything. I am blowing it already."

"You are not. Your family is on the way. It's all going to be okay."

Robin smiled and started to feel a little better. She didn't have to do this alone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Mac searched the garage, the **attic, and the crawl space at his home. The picnic basket was gone. Felicia was waiting when he walked into the kitchen, covered in dust, and got a drink of water.

"You look exhausted. Don't work yourself too hard, Mac. After that heart attack last winter you know the doctors said to slow down and-"

"I know what they said!" He downed the water.

In a concerned voice she asked, "What in the world were you looking for?"

"Nothing."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Keeping secrets, hubby?"

He let out a breath. "It's just a work thing." he said and walked away

Felicia called after him " What kind of work thing involves searching our home?"

The front door slammed close as Mac left the house, leaving Felicia without an answer.

**Georgie, dressed in her blue volunteer outfit**, was pushing a cart at General Hospital when Dillon stepped off the elevator.

"Hey, there you are!" he said happily "You_ so_ need to ditch this and come see a movie with me."

"No time. Sorry. I have to finish up here and then go do some homework"

"It's summer!"

"I'm taking correspondence courses." Georgie was avoiding his eyes and concentrating on the book and magazines on the cart.

"Why, Georgie? You don't even want to be a neurosurgeon. You should stick with writing. You're short stories are great."

She gave him a look. "That is a hobby."

"It could be more."

"You _know_ why it can't be, Dillon."

"Because you have to _make up for Maxie_. Be your mom and dad's good girl. You can't give your life over to that."

"It's my choice and my family and my life. And this is my job and I have to get back to it." She pushed the cart away.

Dillon jumped in front of it and blocked her way.

She said, "You know how much my family lost over the last year. Tony, Maxie, Lucas...it's just too much for my parents to take. The hits just keep coming, Dillon. And I have to do what I can to make things easier. To make them proud. That has to come first."

He said, " I haven't even got to hang out with you since you came home."

"I'll make time soon. I swear. Just not now. Not today." and then she maneuvered the cart around him and walked away.

**Lucky spotted Lulu on the docks**. She was staring vacantly out at the water.

"Waiting for the launch to Spoon Island, sis?"

She turned slightly and gave him a small smile. "No, just ... thinking."

"Why didn't you call when you came back in town?"

"I was planning to." Lulu said in a faraway voice. Her eyes went back to the water.

"What made you come back?"

"I thought... I should be here... again. But maybe I was wrong."

"Are you doing okay, Lulu? Do you want to talk about **it**?"

It being the abortion. The one he told her not to have. The one she went to have all alone and then left town the next day.

Lulu knew that was what he was alluding to. She quickly said, "No. I don't want to talk. I just want to stand here. I'm back and I'm just going to stand here and ...be."

"Okay."

She looked at him again. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Lets just stand here for a while."

"Okay."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Max couldn't get Miss Jones out of his mind. He ended up back at the train yard a few days later. In the daylight he could see their was nothing but an abandoned building and construction materials around. He wandered in and found some train tracks. In the distance, in some woods, he saw a metal structure.

When he got to it he realized it was a box car.

He looked inside and saw a sleeping bag.

_This will not do_, he thought, _That woman can not live here one more day_.

He called his brother Milo. "I'm not going to make it into work today."

Milo sounded like he was choking. He sputtered "What? Is that like even _allowed?_"

"Tell Sonny I'm sick." Max coughed a few times.

"Does this have something to do with a woman?"

"What? Why would you say that?"

Milo whispered, "Is it Carly?"

"No. I'm sick. People get sick. Bye."

Max climbed in the box car to wait.

Hours passed, the sun fell, and finally he heard a rustling noise as someone moved through the woods. A small pen light moved over the trees and kept getting closer.

Although he was pretty sure it was Maxie he pulled out his gun, just in case.

He stood and pressed his back against the inside of the box car and watched as the person climbed inside.

"Hi." he said

Maxie screamed.

"It's just me, M.. J. "

"Oh, Max. God. You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry." he holstered his gun. The car was so dark he doubt she had seen it. All he could do was see a vague outline of her, since the moon was the only light source.

Maxie asked, "What are you _doing_ here?"

"You can't live in a boxcar:"

"I can and I do."

"Not anymore."

She stomped toward him in the dark, tripped an fell onto him. "Whoa there." he said softly as he held her.

For a moment they were both still, there bodies pressed together in the darkness. And then he was righting her, putting her back on her feet again.

She said, "Don't tell me what I can and can't do. I make my choices. I screw up my life. I don't need help."

"What about a friend?"

That stopped her anger dead in its tracks. She moved slowly backwards.

Maxie said, "Just go. I have to go to sleep."

"Not here."

She made her voice sound sexy and said, "Then where? Your bed, Max?"

_I'll prove he is just after my body_, she thought

He blushed. But it was too dark for her to know that.

"You can go home to your parents." he said

"No way!"

"The Metro Court."

"Too high class for me. This place is more my style."

"I'll stay here with you."

She groaned. "I don't think so."

"Then, Miss Jones, I am afraid we have a problem. Because I can't leave you here alone."

**Lucky took the **picture of the picnic basket and placed it in an envelope. He mailed it to the local daily newspaper with an anonymous note.

_**Jane Doe Baby Case**_

_**Ask your readers if this looks familiar to them. The baby was left at the carnival in this. **_

He didn't feel any guilt about leaking it to the press.

If Mac refused to work this case aggressively then Lucky would. That child deserved to find out her who parents are.

Now that he was living with Liz again they called Mrs. Walker about adopting Angel Baby but it was tool late. Liz heard at work that Robin had taken the little girl home. Lucky was glad to know she would be safe. But whoever put her in that park had to pay for it.

**Robin lay in bed late **that night, her daughter next to her. Every muscle in her body ached from running around the hospital all day tending to the victims of a ten car pile up. And she wasn't getting any sleep lately.

Even now, when her child's little eyes were closed, Robin couldn't relax. She loved to stare at the baby's soft little eyelashes and heart shaped pink lips. So precious and hers to care for, for life.

A tear escaped her eye. She hadn't let herself think this, motherhood, was a possibility. Just becoming a doctor seemed bold enough when facing down the death sentence called AIDS. But right now she only had HIV. It could be managed. With drugs and if God was good to her she could see this little one grow to adulthood.

Robin was betting it all on that fact.

"You are loved." she whispered as she touched her daughter "And you will always have family around you. I'll make sure of it. I'm going to give you a great daddy. You'll see, my girl."

The image of Patrick was in her mind. She prayed he came through for her, for them. He owned her heart, though it had been a sneak attack to get it. Robin never planned to fall for him, to need him, to crave his nearness. Never once thought a man so outrageously gorgeous, flirty and with a penchant for risk taking could come to equal safety to her.. Could make her feel as secure as he did.

She stood and carried the baby to the crib. Then threw herself in bed, groaning. _Better get some rest so I can be back at the hospital at dawn, she thought to herself._

Her eyes drifted close.

Angel baby let out a cry. Robin jumped up. No rest for the wicked, the saying went. Though Robin now saw it should read

No rest for the mommy.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Author's note-Thanks for all the reviews. I know not all the scenes you might be hoping to see will be in this fic. There are so many characters it would just drag on forever if I put everything in. But I do hope I add all the right pieces to help you solve the mystery and that by the end you are happy with who raises Angel Baby.

On to the chapter-

Robin had to take the baby to the hospital daycare every day and bring her home alone every night. Patrick flirted with her at work but kept claiming he was too busy at night to come over.

Robin was three days into motherhood and exhausted. She had bags forming beneath the bags already under her eyes but she didn't know that because there was no time to look in a mirror.

It seemed her daughter had a healthy set of lungs and vocal cords. Kelly had already brought earplugs. Lainey was sleeping at the hospital. They helped out when they could but with their busy schedules they needed sleep.

The first night had been the best so far actually. Her room mates came home to find the apartment filled with Anna, Robert, Luke ( who had been with Robert when Anna called and tagged along), Mac, Felicia and Bobbie. Everyone brought baby presents and Anna loaded her car down with the necessities, like diapers and formula.

Everyone was excited about the baby and the mood was joyous. But then they went home and Robin was left alone.

The next day a crib was delivered, with a note from Carly that read:

**I hope you accept this gift. I ordered this the day after she was born. I hoped I could use it for her in my home but since I can not I hope you will. **

Jax sent ten stuffed animals, a children's surf board, and baby beach clothes.And just this morning a box arrived from Brendawith a note that read:

**I read your email. You're a mom! Eeee! I'm dying to meet her. Call me when you get a free moment. Hope you like the dresses I picked out for Angel Baby. Only the best is good enough for my god daughter. In answer to your email , yes I will come home for the christening. I wouldn't miss it. Love and hugs!**

Tonight, as soon as Robin brought the baby home, she picked up the phone.

"Hey, you busy?"

"Not too busy for you, Robin,"

"What to come over and play Uncle Jax?"

"You have a hot date? Need a sitter?"

"No, I could just use adult company and support. My roommates and my boyfriend all seemed freaked out by this new little life around here."

"I'm on my way." Jax said " I'll bring dinner."

**Patrick knew **he should be at Robin's place. But a nagging feeling in his gut kept him away. Instead he was working out at the gym, trying his best to not think.

He loved being around Robin and her daughter, even though he had spent only a small amount of time with them so far. The look on Robin's face as she held that baby was priceless. It made his heart ache.

But he feared Robin would want him to play Daddy. And no matter how much he loved her he wasn't ready for that yet.

He lifted the weights and felt his muscles ache for relief. Physical pain he could cope with much easier than the emotional pain of love and loss.

**Dillon spotted Georgie **in Kelly's. She was whispering with Lulu.

_That's odd_, he thought

As he approached them he heard the word **"Newspaper**..." then some mumbling he couldn't make out from Lulu.

A sharp** "No!**" came from Georgie

"Hey." Dillon said

They both looked up, startled.

"Sharing secrets?" he asked "Why don't you let me in on it?"

"It's nothing." Georgie said and Dillon could see she was trying to come up with a lie. She was terrible at lying. " I was just telling Lulu about a ...um,"

"New feminine hygiene product." Lulu filled in. "I'm sure you don't want to hear the details."

Dillon smirked at her. She was good at conning people, except for him.

"Yeah, right." he said, sitting down at their table. "So, look at us, together again. We should go party tonight. Hit a club or something."

Georgie stood up. "I have to get home." She hurried out the door.

Dillon said to lulu, "We are supposed to be still dating but I haven't been alone with Georgie since last fall. I can't go on like this."

"Don't, Dillon, please. " lulu said with pain in her voice

"What?"

She got angry and said, "Talk to me about _her. _I can't help you make things work with Georgie. I have my own... issues to deal with right now." Lulu stood up and walked out.

Dillon followed her, "Hey, wait up!"

Lulu turned and crossed her arms over her chest.

Dillon said, "I... would like to .. be friends with you again. Do you think we could do that?"

Lulu said "Looking at you reminds me ... of the baby. Don't I do that for you? Isn't it too hard?"

"It's hard to not be around you too. We can try to work this out, can't we?"

She felt herself giving in as his words warmed her. He was hard to resist, with his boyish looks and sweet smile, so she said"We can try."

**Jax showed up at Robin's **a little while later and they ate Chinese food while the baby slept peacefully.

Robin said, "She will be up all night."

"She? Aren't you calling her Angel?"

Robin blushed and looked down.

"No?" Jax smiled "You haven't named her. The baby is nameless?" Jax chuckled.

Robin said, "I can't decide. And I can't slow down long enough to think about it. I might use Angel as a middle name or Anna. I don't know. I just don't want her first name to be Angel because it will be a constant reminder of how she was born and why she is called that."

Jax said"Well, we need to find this sweet girl a name. What are the options? Do you have any names you like?"

**Author's note** for Scrubs fans- I am planning for Patrick to be more involved but it is going to be complicated. Also, Angel

Baby gets a real name in the next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**Robin was nearly falling **asleep at work. Thank God she was doing research today and not seeing patients.

If only the results she were analyzing weren't so boring. If only she had gotten 20 consecutive minutes of sleep last night she might not have been so cranky when Patrick came in the room, all smiles, and winked at her.

"So this is where you are hiding, Doctor Scorpio."

"Not hiding. Working."

"You, me , dinner tonight at the Metro Court and then dessert in a suite upstairs." he leaned down and lifted her chin to kiss her.

The kiss started soft and then became more insistent, full of heat and stored up desired.

Robin sighed when he pulled away. She had missed that.

But she said, "I can't. I haven't lined up any sitters yet. I was thinking Georgie would be perfect but she hasn't returned any of my calls."

"So ask Kelly or Lainey."

"They aren't really... _maternal."_

"And Georgie is?"

"She's very responsible and sweet. You know that. And she is family. Besides I am too tired to go anywhere."

"Come on, Rob, we haven't seen each other all week. I need...time with you." He gave her a flirty look.

But it only pissed her off. He was relaxed and wanting to have sex. She was on edge and he should be too, she felt. Weren't they in this together?

"Look at me, Patrick? Don't I look exhausted? Because I am. I don't even think I combed my hair today. I'm barely able to do this mommy thing. My roommates are too busy with work to be home very often and my parents are off on another adventure."

"So do you think taking the baby was a mistake?"

"Of course not! How _could you _ask that?" Robin was madly in love with that little girl already. " I just need help. I need_ you_."

He took a step back. "Uh, okay. What can I do? Run an errand or something? Track down Georgie? "

"Come over tonight and help me with my daughter."

Patrick gave her the same look he had the first time she said the word commitment.

But he said, slowly and in an unsure voice, "I can do that."

**From a distance Bobbie watched **Robin and Patrick. So young. Their whole lives were in front of them still. Having kids. New little lives to make the future worth living. That part of her life was over now.

Her heart clutched.

Noah stepped off the elevator, saw the sad look on her face, and walked over.

"Want to get some coffee?" he asked "I'm here for you, Bobbie, you know that, right?"

"I know. But I'm fine." She gave him a weak smile.

His eyes reflected her sadness.

She said, "I just need to get home. I'm off. And, frankly, I'm exhausted."

"Call me if you want to talk." he offered

She nodded but thought, _I don't want to talk. I want a drink_.

**Maxie poured herself a double **shot of vodka, straight up, from the small fridge that was in her room at Kelly's.

She stared at the liquid. There was a time she could have walked away from this. She had been doing well resisting temptation in New York for a while there. But that time was past now.

Still the first drink was always the hardest and the one that tasted the best. She would play this game with herself about if she would drink it or not.

Since Maxie returned to Port Charles she always took the drink but it was important to her to pretend she controlled the alcohol and it didn't control here.

There was a knock on the door. She downed the drink and shoved the bottle back in the fridge.

She grabbed a breath mint and called "Coming."

It had to be Max. She still hadn't told her family she was in town and Max and Mike Corbin were the only ones who knew she was staying above Kelly's. Max had paid for her room since her money had run out months ago.

She opened the door and saw a five foot tall black haired woman her age glaring at her. This woman could be a movie star, by looks alone, if not for the fact she was a homeless recovering addict.

"About time I caught up to you. Nice, Maxie, ditching me like that. I had to hitch hike here and search every hotel in town for your butt."

" Lea," Maxie said, dryly "Get in here before someone hears you."

Lea stomped inside. She looked all around the room. "What did you do. Maxie? Why are you back here?"

Maxie glared at her."What are you doing, huh? Stalking me?"

"Funny. I had to go see Kyle in rehab to even find out what town you two lived in before New York."

"You saw Kyle?" Maxie asked, concerned "How is he doing?"

Lea turned away. She looked around the room some more.

Maxie screeched, "How is he, Lea!?!"

"He looked good when I visited him but..." Lea bit her lip "I don't if he**_ thought_** he was better or if it was seeing me but he checked himself out and..."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Lea shrugged. "We partied... things got out of control fast... I went along for the ride. You know how good Kyle is at talking people into stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

Lea looked down. "He could never do just a little meth, you know that. It lead to three bad days and then one night we fell asleep in that abandoned building we all used to crash in and..."

Maxie felt her body go weak. But her mind didn't want to believe it.

Lea continued, "I woke up the next day and Kyle didn't. He's gone."

"Back to rehab? The hospital pumped his stomach again and he's okay, right?" Her voice was desperate.

Did she love him? No.

But he was part of her plan. Her one day hope that she would pull it all together and so would he and they could look back and say "_We were crazy then but we were young. That wasn't who we were. We're good people_." And they could both be better than they had been.

They would do good works, charity, help other people every chance they got and it would make up for some of their crimes.

Lea looked up and blurted the words out."He's dead, Maxie."

Maxie pushed past Lea and grabbed the bottle out of the mini fridge.

With shaky hands she let the cold liquid wash down her throat.

"Back to drinking? God, Maxie.! Are you drugging too? Screwing around?"

"Shut the hell up."

In a soft voice Lea said "You were doing so good... why,? It didn't have to be this way."

"You don't know." Maxie said raggedly, refusing to met the other woman's eyes. She took another gulp of vodka.

"Then tell me. We were friends. I said I would help you. I got clean for a while, remember? Because you helped me. And I would do whatever I can to ..."

"You can't do anything!"

Lea sighed. "Maybe I should call your parents. Didn't you say your Dad is a cop? It shouldn't be that hard to figure out which one."

Maxie grabbed her arm and hissed, "Don't you dare."

Lea pulled her arm away. "Then put down the bottle and go to a meeting."

**That night, laying in bed with Patrick**, with her head resting on his bare chest Robin smiled and said, "I needed that."

"I aim to please." Patrick said

"See I told you I need you around." Robin said. "You helped me take care of Angel baby tonight and then to relax. Without you I'd still be a wreck. Now if only I could pick a name for my daughter."

"I have one in mind." Patrick said

"You do? You've been thinking about it?" her voice was awed. She sat up and looked at him.

Patrick gave her a smile.

"Well, tell me, Drake! What are we naming her?"

"Isabella."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Carly smiled at Jax. "You look happy."

"Do I?" he said, grinning

They were at the Metro Court going over paperwork.

"You have a big night planned for us or something? Hot tub? Me wearing that bikini you like or nothing at all? Your pick, Mr. Jacks."

He winked at her but said, "Sorry, can't. I got a better offer."

Carly sputtered "Oh yeah, who?"

"Angel Baby."

Carly relaxed. "Oh, so Robin is letting you see her again? That's great. I'm surprised she is willing to be so generous with her daughters time."

" I knew she wouldn't cut me out. And it's been wonderful spending time with them. Angel really needs a family and ... I guess, it feels good to be needed."

Carly stood up and walked around the desk. She sat on his lap and said "I need you."

Her lips brushed over his.

Carly said, "Unless you are too busy working?"

Jax pushed the papers onto the floor. "What work?"

**Lea was sitting **at the counter at Kelly's waiting for Maxie to come back. When maxie walked in she started to move past lea's table, heading up the stairs. Lea followed her.

"I saw the paper."

"Good for you." Maxie said

"There was an article about- "

"I can read, Lea. I know." Maxie entered her room and tried to close the door quickly.

Lea pushed her way inside. "Kyle told me what he did. Running that man over."

Maxie spun around, "So that is why you came? To rat me out? I should have known you didn't care about helping me."

"After all the stuff we've done for each other, how can you say that? I'm the best friend you have. And you're mine. Without you I couldn't have gotten through the-"

"I don't have any friends. Best or otherwise." Maxie opened the door to her room. "So leave me the hell alone."

**Robin watched as Patrick pushed the **stroller through the park. The baby was fussing and would only stop when the stroller was moving.

Patrick volunteered to circle the path around the park and Robin was watching, from a bench, in amusement. He was talking to the baby the whole time but not in baby talk. He spoke as if the nearly newborn was an adult.

"So," Robin heard Patrick say as they approached " then the President held a news conference and announced his policy on economic redevelopment as far as the next two quarters were concerned.."

Robin peeked in the stroller. She smiled. "She's asleep. You bored her right into dream land."

"Bored!" he pretended to be offended "I was educating her. Next time we"ll discuss the implications of the balance of power shifting on the Supreme Court."

"Are you trying to make Izzy into a politician?" Robin said with a easy smile

"She can be whatever she wants once she completes her education at Oxford."

"No Harvard or Yale for our girl?"

Patrick froze. One little OUR and he was freaking out.

He murmured, "Whatever you two decide."

Then he sat next to Robin on the bench and said, "So did Georgie agree to baby sit tonight?"

"I still haven't spoken to her. I think she is avoiding me. I'll have to track her down at the hospital and figure out if she is mad at me."

"So no dinner at the Metro Court then?"

"No, we can still go. Jax is baby sitting."

"Jax, huh? He's really coming through for you lately. What a good friend."

"Don't be jealous, Dr. Drake."

"Me? _Please."_

"Sure, you're not. Anyway you will always be number one for me and my girl. As long as you want to be at least."

He looked down.

"Patrick?" she put her hand under his chin and forced him to look at her. "I am not trying to pressure you but I need to know you want to be in her life. That she can count on you as a father figure."

"I can't make any promises, Robin."

She scooted a inch back.

Patrick added, " I want to. I want to say I can do this. That I can be Isabella's dad. I know she needs one. But.. It's just too big for me to commit .. right now. I'm here. Isn't that enough?"

Robin had a look of pain on her face but also understanding and acceptance. "For me, it is, Patrick. But she needs more. She needs a father... today and everyday from here on out. Not just a guy around. She needs a daddy."

Patrick looked like he wanted to say something, his mouth opened, closed, open "I...can't promise anything to her or you."

Robin nodded. "I don't want to rush you. Take your time. I was the one who decided to adopt. Not you. But I have to do what is right by her." She looked down at her daughter with a look of fierce protectiveness all over her face.

"Does that mean..." his voice trailed off. Fear was running through his blood. "Are we over, Robin?"

Robin's hand cocked around quickly, her gaze meeting his, shock and hurt on her features.

She whispered, "You want to be?"

Patrick wanted to say no. He wanted to do that more than anything. But a huge part of him didn't want this all to mean so much.

He wanted to be able to walk away and know it would not kill him.

His pager went off. "I got to get back to work. So... dinner tonight still?"

"Sure." she said quietly and then Patrick was off the bench, leaving her and her daughter behind, and hurrying away without saying I love you or even Good bye.

**Georgie stared at **her textbook. She needed to study for her correspondence course. But her mind wouldn't stay focused.

The picnic basket was flashing through her mind. It was a one of a kind. At least, she had never seen one like that before. The police, or Mac at least, would figure it eventually.

She let out a breath.

_I have to figure out what to do, _she thought_, because Lulu will crack soon. I know it._

Lulu was keeping her mouth shut for now. But Georgie couldn't count on her doing that forever.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Lulu and Dillon were cruising across the lake on a boat owned by Edward.

Lulu laughed as the wind whipped her hair and Dillon smiled at her and made silly faces.

He said, "Grandfather would kill us if he knew we borrowed this."

"Stole, Dillon. We stole this boat and it feels great! I missed doing stuff like this."

Dillon loved seeing this look on her face. She was like a wild horse who had broken free from someone who tried to pen her in.

Was he the one who took this look off her face last year? Or just the pregnancy? The baby that never would be.

The smile slid from his face and he looked away. He concentrated on steering the boat.

His mind filled with the picture of the baby from the newspaper. The one someone had tossed away. If only that was his daughter he would never have left her that way.

It must have been some teenager. Someone feeling like Lulu did last fall.

Suddenly a thought came to his mind... but it couldn't be. He turned and looked at Lulu.

She winked at him, the image of young and free. Childless.

Dillon studied her features.

_She's so lovely. She couldn't have... _Dillon thought _She couldn't have_ _had our baby and left her in the park_.

Lulu made her way over to him. She said, "You sure you know how to control this thing?"

"Yeah."

"Then punch it, Dil. I want to see how fast this baby can go."

Dillon pushed his crazy thoughts out of his head, attributing it wishful thinking on his part. At least his child would be alive if that baby in the park was his. But, he felt, Lulu wouldn't do something like that.

And he increased the speed he realized he only felt this free with her.

And Lulu realized she hadn't felt this happy since last summer.

**Maxie walked into Kelly's **after another AA meeting. She didn't tell the truth when she told her story to the other people there.

Her truth , about her time in New York, was too much. Too horrific to say aloud. It was filled with nights with no where to sleep but her car or abandoned building, with parties that never seemed to end- even a week later when they were long past being any fun, with a man who never said I love you but wanted to have sex with her everyday, with **_other_** men who she tried to find comfort in, with ugly, ugly things that made her shiver to this day.

Max was sitting at the counter. When he saw her he said, "Hey, M. J. I was hoping you would come home soon. "

Maxie smiled. Max was the one bright spot in her life. He stopped by every day to buy her a meal, make her laugh, and just check in on her. He made her feel like someone who deserved to be taken care of. He was the only one on earth who felt that way. Even she didn't think she deserved love or kindness.

"Hey, Max."

He heard the sadness in her voice. "You okay?"

She sat next to him on the stool. She usually tried to stay in her room or only go out late at night, when she wouldn't run into her family. But today she just didn't care.

The struggling to not drink had exhausted her. The alcohol was all that made her able to not think and now, thanks to her so called friend Lea who was camping out in a sleeping bag in Maxie's room, she didn't have anyway to numb herself anymore.

She looked at Max. Maybe he could make her forget for a while. She placed her hand on his thigh, gave him her sexiest look and said, "You want to make me feel better? Take me somewhere we can be alone."

"M.J." he said softly, tempted but with a warning in his voice

Maxie leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I need to be held, please."

Max nodded, slipped his hand in hers and they left Kelly's.

**Robin was on emotional **overload when Jax came over to baby sit. He could hear the sound of Angel crying from the hallway.

When Robin opened the door, she was holding the baby. Without a word she walked away, murmuring "It's okay, sweetie," to try and calm her child.

Robin said to Jax "Isabella has been like this since I picked her up from daycare. I haven't even been able to get ready for my date yet."

"Is she sick?"

"Not feverish. I think she is just cranky. Poor girl." Robin kissed her forehead. The baby still wailed.

"You go get ready and I'll hold her for a while."

Robin smiled gratefully. And when she came back the baby was cooing instead of crying.

"You're a miracle worker." Robin said smiling.

She joined them on the couch and said "She's perfect, isn't she? Even when she's crying. Isabella needs so much though and I just hope I can give it to her."

"You can, Robin."

"Not alone, I can't. I know what it feels like when your Dad is not in your life. The first few years of mine I didn't have one and it was a gaping hole. Every kid needs a father. **_She needs_** a father. Jax... is your offer still good? Do you want her?"

"Are you saying you are going to give her up?" Jax asked shocked

"No! Don't even say that where she can hear you." Robin stroked her daughters few strands of hair and said "No one is taking you from your mama, baby girl."

"Sorry. What are you proposing Robin?"

Robin met his eyes. "Would you be the father of my daughter?"

Jax tilted his head. Awed, he breathed out "Are you serious?"

"I've known you for a long time. I know you would never hurt her. And like me you have longed for a child you wondered if you would ever have. You wanted her once. Do you still?"

"Yes."

"So you think we could do this together?"

"As in what? Live together?"

"No, no, Patrick would not go for that! But we would both adopt her and share custody. She needs a dad. One who puts her first, never leaves and treats her like a princess."

"Can't Patrick do that?"

"Yes and I hope he will, one day, as her step dad. But he told me to not count on that. I think... Jax, I pray he comes around and wants to go for it. To marry me and be with us for life. But I have to take him at his word right now. He isn't ready and she can't wait. She lost enough already. She needs to know she had a mom and dad today, not someday."

"Robin, " Jax said "are you sure you want me to be the one? Her dad?"

"Don't feel pressured."

"I feel honored." He looked down and locked eyes with the baby. "I'm your dad."

Robin smiled. She knew this was a unconventional but she also felt both her and Jax could do right by this little girl together.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Author's note- Thanks for reading up to ths point. This story, I think, will have around 25 chapters. All the reviews are greatly appreciated. I like hearing if you like where the story is going or even if you don't. It fuels my imagination to know your thoughts.

p.s. Anyone wondering about my next J and C fic, The Last Mrs. Morgan, can expected it to be posted the day after I post the end of Somebody's baby.

On to the chapter-

**Luke was sitting in the **living room of the Quatermaine mansion when Lulu walked in, carrying luggage.

"Lesley Lou, when did you get back in town?"

"A while ago but I was staying with Nikolas. I thought, though, if you don't mind I would crash in my old room here again. So we can hang out and stuff."

"Sounds alright with me. Hey, you up for a little fun? I have a lead on some buried treasure. It's on a ship that sunk in the Florida Keys 200 years ago. I think Sam McCall is after it too though. Do you think you could get Carly to give you a key to Jason's place and plant a listening device in there."

"Sorry, don't think so. Try Dillon. He loves playing spy games with you."

Father and daughter smiled at each other. And just like that, after months of her being gone, they were back to normal.

**Carly held the bottle **to the baby's mouth. Morgan sat next to her on the couch at Jax's house. She had always wondered if she would have a daughter. And now the one she dreamt of being hers since the first moment she saw her was here in her arms. Even more than she was happy for herself and her chance to be a almost step mom, she felt ecstatic for Jax. In an instant Robin gave him the one gift that he never expected to receive: fatherhood of the sweetest baby girl in all of Port Charles.

Carly found it extremely odd that her future was so intertwined with Robin Saint Scorpio but for Angel baby she would deal with it.

Morgan peered down at the infant,"She's pretty, mama."

"Yeah, she is." Carly stroked a wisp of her hair behind her ear. " Do you think you can do me a favor, Morgan?"

"Sure!"

"Will you act like as big brother for Isabella?"

"Me? Wow. I've never been a big brother before."

"Well, she could use one. Do you think you are up to the job?"

Morgan touched the baby's hand. He studied her and nodded. "I can do it, mama."

Jax and Micheal walked into the room carrying a bowl of popcorn. "Ready to watch the movie?" Jax asked

"I'm a big brother!" Morgan announced proudly.

Jax smiled at Carly and said softly "That's great, kid. She's lucky to have you and Micheal in her life."

**Maxie and Max **were sitting in a restaurant a few miles outside of Port Charles. They hadn't slept together the other night. Instead Max took her for a ride in Sonny's sport car, which he prayed Sonny never found out about, and parked in a state park. Above them the sky was filled with stars. He had said, "This is a good as place as any to be held, I'd say." Maxie has slid into his arms and felt almost okay for once.

Now they were holding hands after dinner. Max asked, "You always have such sad eyes. What happened to hurt you so bad, MJ?"

Immediately he could see it had been the wrong thing to say. Her face clouded over and she pulled her hand away.

"Life." her voice was filled with bitterness "What caused yours?"

That shocked him. He didn't think his eyes were sad, at all. He was a pretty easy going guy.

Max told her, "My eyes aren't sad."

"Your eyes are a tragedy. What is it? Your job? All the killing people getting to you?"

"No," max said leaning forward "if my eyes are sad it must be because of this pretty girl I met who lived in a box car and doesn't like herself very much."

Maxie stood up. "I'm out of here."

He followed her outside. "We are miles from home."

"That's your home not mine. I should have never came back." she said without looking back. She started walking down the road, her thumb out.

Max watched her. His heart was already so wrapped up in her and her drama. She didn't act like she wanted him to care. That made him care even more.

He had the sinking feeling he couldn't save this girl.

But he couldn't give up either. "M.J.!"

She kept walking. Blond hair flying in the wind behind her.

Max jumped in his car and pulled up alongside her. "Get in."

"Go to hell. You don't have to worry about your box car charity case anymore."

"Grow up."

"Excuse me?"

This was the first time he gave her the slightest attitude.

Max said, "You want to treat your only friend, as far as I can see, in the world like shit then fine. I'll go. Or else you could get in and we could forget about this."

Her face softened. "Just take me to the bus stop. I don't know" hervoice broke "why I even came back."

"So you could meet me."

There eyes locked. She got in the car.

**Robin was pushing **the stroller through the park the next day when she spotted Georgie.

Georgie froze.

"Are you avoiding me?" Robin asked, walking closer to her.

"Of course not." Georgies eyes shot down to the baby in the stroller. "My god.."

"She's a beauty, huh?"

"Yes, she is."

"Well I was hoping you could be a big part of Isabella's life."

"What!?!"

Robin studied her cousin's stricken expression. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. No, I'm not. Sorry. I'm really tired from work, volunteering and studying. Then there is ...Dillon."

"Oh, I wish you weren't so busy. I wanted you to be my daughter's babysitter a few nights a week. There is no one else I would trust like I do you."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're responsible and never let anyone down. You are a great role model for her."

Georgie looked down again at the baby. Her light brown hair curled around her ears. Her eyes connected with Georgie.

"I'll make time for her." Georgie told her cousin.

"Great. I was hoping you would say that. Is this afternoon too early to start?"

**Max walked M.J. to **her room at Kelly's. She opened the door, then turned around to face him.

"Why do you put up with me?" she asked, honestly curious. No guy ever went this far out of his way to help her.

"I don't know." Max looked down, his cheeks reddened slightly. "I guess I don't think it was an accident that I was the one who noticed you in Jake's parking lot that night."

M.J. titled her head and studied him. So adorable, really. Strong enough to save her life, sweet enough to love her right. "So you think it was...?"

Max looked up, his eyes collided with hers. In them she saw, for the first time, something other than friendship, she saw a tender desire to be more.

"Fate," Max answered. "And you don't argue with fate."

M.J. wanted to give him a easy way out of this conversation, before he went and did something crazy. Like make her fall for him.

"Don't feel like you are stuck with me," she said "for life cause I cried on your shoulder a few times. I'm not as big of wreck as I look like."

He touched her arm. "You look just fine, M.J."

She ignored his sweetness. Her heart was tumbling fast. "Yeah right. I just lied to you. I am as big of a wreck on the inside as I know I look on the outside but you don't have to save me." Her voice softened. She couldn't stand if he only cared about her out of pity. She told him again, her words a whisper, " Don't think you have to save me, okay?"

"Sorry," he said with a smile, his voice as low as hers, "but I think I do."

His mouth dipped close to hers. Maxie took in a breath. Max gently let his lips touch hers for a moment and then pulled back. He whispered, "I have to save you because it's like saving myself. I need you now, M.J. I can't help it. I just need to be near you."

He went to kiss her again but she took a step back. She placed a hand on his chest.

"Max," her voice was ragged "I'm not the type of girl you should fall in love with. Don't fall in love with me."

He took her hand in his, ever so softly he kissed it. And then said, "Too late."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

**Patrick phoned **Robin a few times in the hours since he got off work but she didn't pick up her cell phone. Finally, worried that her car crashed on the way home and her and Izzy were in a ditch somewhere, he called Lainey.

She answered, her voice professional, "Dr. Lainey Winter speaking?"

"Is Robin home?"

"Oh, hi, Dr. McHottie. Yep, your girlfriend is here. She's feeding Isabella. Hold on."

Patrick's whole body relaxed. For the minutes he couldn't locate robin it felt like his life was hanging on the edge of a cliff. If Robin and Isabella were gone he might as well not be here either.

Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind of his mom. How she waited up till he got home when he was a teenager. How she needed him to be okay for her to sleep.

Soon Robin's voice filled the line.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Patrick asked

"Sorry. I was meaning to call you back."

Something in her voice was off.

He asked, "Are you mad at me? What did I do? I swear that nurse hit on me. Not the other way around."

"Patrick." She cut him off, sighed, and said "I'm not mad. And what nurse?"

"Hmm. Oh, no one. Then what is it?"

"We need to talk."

Dread filled his body, down to every nerve ending. He knew what those four words meant.

And then he started falling off the cliff.

Robin asked, "Can you come over right now?"

"Yeah."

The line went dead. Patrick spit out a curse word.

**Maxie was leaving her AA **meeting, walking down front street, when a car horn beeped and she heard her name being called.

She turned and saw the car slow down and then stop at the curb near her.

Diego said, through the rolled down window, "Get in. We have to talk."

"Not today." Maxie said and started walking again

The car rolled next to her. "I kept your secret but if you don't talk to me that could change."

Maxie turned and gave him a nasty look. She stomped over and climbed into the sports car.

"Is this stolen?" she snarked at him

"Is that any way to talk to the man keeping you from a prison sentence?"

"I wasn't driving that car! Kyle was and he is dead so tell who ever you want about him killing that man. I'm not responsible for that." But her eyes filled with tears because inside she felt like a murderer. Or at least a willing accomplice. It was her partying that put them on that road, Kyle driving her car drunk, that morning last year.

"It wasn't your fault, Maxie." Diego said, his voice kind. "That's why I never ratted on you. You had enough problems already being hooked up with Kyle Radcliffe. Did that loser boyfriend get you in more trouble after you left town?"

"We both did things...yeah, okay, it got ugly in New York. You're right? Happy now?"

"Of course not. I was worried as hell about you while you were gone. And I can see that you are not doing well now either. Was that a AA meeting you just walked out of?"

"How would you know that?"

"I have a friend you goes to that meeting sometimes."

Maxie hung her head. "I'm not an alcoholic, if that is what you are thinking."

He reached out to touch her arm but she recoiled from his gentle gesture and jumped out of the car.

"Don't feel sorry for me!" she yelled "I'm fine!" And then she ran off. Diego tried to follow her but a traffic jam made it impossible.

**Patrick walked into Robin's **apartment feeling like he was going to the electric chair. But he wouldn't go down without a fight.

_I love you_! he silently screamed at her. _You can't leave me when I love you!_

Isabella cried. Robin started moving toward her when Patrick said, "Let me."

He picked up the infant and murmured soothing words._ Oh my sweet Izzy. I can't lose you_, he cried to himself.

What had he done to upset Robin? He couldn't figure it out. Was it the way he held back sometimes on saying I love you or I need you. Was it because he hadn't asked her to move in with him?

He thought, as he cuddled the baby closer, _Maybe, I should have bought a house for her and Izzy. Yes, I should have done that. Damn! What a idiot. Well, I'll do that now. Today. Just, please God, don't take them from me._

"You're good with kids," Robin said softly

"Not really. I don't know the first thing about them." he met her eyes "But I can learn. Give me time. I'll catch up to you and Jax soon enough. I'll be a better sitter than even Georgie Jones. I can't let a teenage girl out do me in anything."

Robin laughed.

_Laughter is good, he thought. But she looks sad, devastated actually. And scared. Oh no, it can't be. Not the HIV._

"You have all the time you need. Isabella and I aren't going anywhere." Robin said gently"That's why I asked you here. To tell you not to feel pressured to be an instant daddy anymore."

"I didn't." He walked over to her. The baby cooed.

"Of course you did. And that was my fault. I just knew she needed a father so badly. But I fixed that."She looked into his eyes. "I asked Jax to adopt her with me. To be her official father."

Patrick all but shouted, "You gave my daughter away?!"

The baby started to wail.

**Maxie ducked into **the first bar she saw and drank until the pain was numb.

A woman sat down next to her at the bar and said, in a dull voice, "I though that was you."

Maxie tried to focus on her: red hair, bloodshot eyes, smeared lipstick. "Aunt Bobbie?"

"Buy you another?" Bobbie motioned to the bartender, lifting two fingers.

Her shoulder rose and fell with the effort, a sigh escaped her, as if she was exhausted from the effort.

Maxie asked, "What are you doing here? Does my mom know I am in town? Were you two following me"

The bartender sat the drinks down and Bobbie guzzled hers.

Bobbie said, "I come here sometimes now. Not a lot. Sometimes. No one knows. They think I am coping. But, ha, yeah..." Her voice trailed off. Maxie gaped at her.

Then Bobbie spat out, "You keep your mouth shut 'bout seeing me and I'll do the same for you, got it?"

Maxie put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. This could not be right.

Bobbie reached for Maxie's drink. Maxie snatched it from her and said,"Bartender! Take this away. We're done."

Though Maxie felt woozy, seeing Bobbie like this was sobering her up fast.

"Let's get a cab and get out of here." Maxie said "Or I could call Lucas."

"You don't know?" Bobbie hissed at her "Selfish girl, you ran off and hurt your mother and don't even know that my son is dead. Your cousin is dead, Maxie!"

Maxie visibly recoiled backwards. She breathed out, "How?"

"Last fall he was ran over by someone who didn't even stop and help him. They left my baby to die in the road like a dog." Bobbie started to cry.

Maxie spun away from her and threw up all over the floor. Then she stood and hurried out of the bar, clutching at chairs, table, walls, anything to study herself. On the street she sunk to the ground and cried for long minutes. No one came outside to check on her.

She was a broken, damaged young woman, she knew that. And she was all alone.

**Robin said, "Your **daughter? I didn't know you thought of her that way."

The babies cries pierced the air.

"Come to mama. Izzy. It's okay." Robin took her form Patrick's arms.

He walked over and sat down on the couch, feeling shaky. His vision blurred.

"I thought this would make you feel relieved, Patrick."

He blinked and focused on the two people he loved most in the world. Even himself and his father came after them on his list of who he needed to be safe and happy for his world to make sense.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Robin said. "And you didn't lose anything. Really."

Softly he muttered, "How do you figure?"

Robin came and sat next to him. She took a deep breath. "Because one day you can become her stepfather. If you want that. If you choose us."

She looked at him, hope filling her eyes.

"Don't answer right now," she said "Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready."

"What?"

"I choose you, both."

Tears rushed from her eyes."You do?"

His thumb brushed a tear from her cheek. "Yeah, I did. A while ago. But my stupid brain forgot to clue in my heart."

"You don't have a stupid brain. I love you brain. I love everything about you."

With the baby between them, Patrick leaned over and gently kissed her.

She added, "But you're ego."

He laughed.

Robin asked, "Do you hate the idea of Jax adopting her?"

Patrick took a moment to organize his thoughts. His eyes drifted to Isabella. He wouldn't want her to be without a father for one second of her life. Robin had done what had to be done.

"It's just more love for her, Rob." he said "How can that be a bad thing?"

Robin smiled, and said. "Get over here and kiss me."


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's note- Wow, you guys rock for posting all the reviews. It makes writing this story so much more fun. Hope you all have a great holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving everyone**!

Chapter Nineteen.

Robin was at the Metro Court with Patrick and Noah when the elevator doors opened. Patrick titled his head to the side and stared at the couple making out inside.

"Aren't those your parents?" Patrick asked his girlfriend.

Robin put down her menu and her eyes bulged as her parents untangled themselves and stepped off the elevator, holding hands.

"Hey, Luv." Robert said

"Hi, baby." Anna said, smiling

"What is going on with you two?" asked Robin "The mission must have went awfully well."

"Fabulous." said Robert

"It worked out satisfactory." said Anna. She sat next to Noah. Looking at Robin she said, " Tell us about our granddaughter. How is she?"

"She has a name now." Robin said, excited. "Patrick came up with it."

Robert pulled up a chair and sat in it, backward. "Don't tell me he named my grand baby Patricia? I was rooting for Roberta. Little Bertie. That's cute, right?"

"Noey is cuter." Noah said "Maybe your and Robin's next baby can be named that, Patrick."

Patrick's eyes bugged out. He swallowed hard.

Anna asked, "So spill. What are we calling her?"

"Isabella Angel Scorpio Jacks." Robin looked at Patrick "For now."

Patrick gave her a sweet smile. He still felt terrified at the idea of being a husband and a father but when he thought of losing her that nearly stopped his heart.

_I can do this_, Patrick thought,_ I want to love Robin and Izzy for the rest of my life._

"Isabella Angel Scorpio Jacks Drake," Noah said "will be quite a mouthful."

"That will cost a fortune to have engraved on anything." Robert joked "Hmmm. Little Luv can be her nickname.. Much more economical."

"You are all invited to her Christening on Sunday."Robin said

Patrick looked around the table. Family. His and hers mixed together. It felt right.

**Maxie was wa**ndering down the street, unsteadying on her feet, when she turned a corner and ran into Dillon

"You're back?"

"Looks like it, genius." she snarked at him

"Do your parents know? They've been heart broken since you ditched Port Charles."

"Don't lay on the guilt. I'm not in the mood."

"I'll take that as a no. Well you need to call Georgie and I mean today. Or else I go to Mac."

Maxie glared at him. "Who asked you to butt into my business? Stay the hell out of it. Not everyone is as perfect as your love Georgie, Dillon. Hell she isn't even as perfect as you think."

"At least she isn't drunk in the middle of the afternoon. Your sister is at Robin's babysitting her newly adopted daughter right now. Georgie has been working over time to be good so your parents don't think about how you disappeared."

"Screw off." She pushed past him.

"Call her! And do it quick. I go to Mac at sundown."

Maxie flipped him off over her shoulder and kept walking away.

**Dillon went back at home and picked up the phone to call Georgie ** when Alice came into the living room.

"The police are here to see Miss Lulu."

Dillon's eyes got big. "Why?"

Mac and Lucky entered the room. Mac said, "Is she here?"

"Upstairs." Alice said

"I'll bring her down." Lucky said

**Lucky went to her **room, knocked and entered.

"Hey, big brother, what's going on?"

"If you put that baby in the park tell me now. I can protect you."

Lulu blinked. Her hand went over her stomach. "What would make you think that?"

"Gary Evans called a tip into the station. He claims he went to the beach last summer with you, Georgie, Dillon, Maxie, Diego and Lucas. And that picnic basket the baby was found in was brought in the car you, Georgie and Maxie came and left in."

Lucky waited for her to deny it. When she didn't he said, "And your child would be the right age to be Angel Baby."

"I don't have a child." Lulu said softly "I am no one's mother. Okay?"

"Lulu..."

"Can't help you, Lucky. I don't remember a picnic from nearly a year ago."

"You had better hope Mac buys that."

"Do you?"

"If you say so then I will back you up."

They went downstairs and stonewalled Mac as a team.

**Max knocked on the door **of the room above Kelly's.

"She's not there. She's went on a bender again." said a female voice from behind him.

Max turned to see her leaning against the wall, her black hair cascading down over her shoulders.

"Who are you?" he asked

"Lea. Maxie's only other friend in the world."

"And you let her leave here drunk?"

"If you think I could stop her then you don't know Maxie Jones as well as you think."

Max scowled at her. "You are the one I don't know. Are you new in town?"

"I'm here because Maxie helped me to get off drugs and I would like to help her now. I know she needs it. But it might be too late. The life we lived back in New York left her with ...regrets... the kind she tries to drink away."

"I have to find her."

Lea watched him walk off and called. "Tell her to go to meeting. I'll go with her if she wants."

**When Mac and Lucky left Dillon **said to Lulu, "Tell me the truth. Don't even try to con me. I can read you. Is that our baby that was left in the park?"

"No."

"I won't hate you. Just be honest. Is she ours? I swear I will not be mad. We can deal with this. We can raise our baby together." Dillon's voice sounded desperate.

"I thought this was over. I thought we were past this_." _Lulu whispered

"Say she's ours. Please." His eyes pleaded with her. The need in them took her breath away.

Lulu closed her eyes briefly. Then she opened them and said, "I had the abortion, Dillon. Our baby is dead."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Georgie sat holding the baby in her arms on Robin's couch. Tears rolled down her eyes.

_I can't keep this secret forever. You deserve better than this._

Her cell phone rang.

"Hi."

"The cops just left my house." Lulu said

In a panicked voice Georgie asked, "What did you tell them?"

"I played dumb. I'm good at working people. You are not. So what happens when Mac questions you about that damn picnic basket?"

"I'll convince him it's not the same one."

"Sure. Cause you are great at lying."

"I can do it, Lulu. What choice do I have now? I can't tell him."

"No, you can't."

Knock. Knock.

"Got to go." Georgie said "Just keep quiet. You can do that, right?"

"I have up till now, haven't I?"

"Bye." Georgie hung up. She stood and placed the baby in the crib.

She looked through the peek hole and then flung the door open.

"What are you doing here?" Georgie asked

Maxie pushed her way inside.

"You nearly killed mom and dad when you left." Georgie said

"I missed you, too, sis." Maxie staggered to the crib. She reached down and stroked the baby's hair.

"Don't touch her! You're drunk."

Maxie turned and scowled at her sister. "I need a little drink now and then to cope with...hmmm, should I list it all? Jesse, Lucky, Kyle, my sins, my past, you, mom, dad, life, EVERYTHING, OKAY? "

The baby wailed.

"Mom and dad can not see you like this. You need to get into a program, Maxie."

"A program?" She laughed. Her eyes darted to the baby. "There's no program to make up for what I have done."

"You aren't the only one who has screwed up. We all do. I have too."

"Not like me," Maxie argued

"It isn't a contest to see who is more screwed up!" Georgie spat at her. She took a breath and said, "That baby is the newest member of our family and she is reason enough for both of us to fix our lives."

Georgie walked over and picked up the child.

Maxie ran her hand through her hair. She walked over to the kitchen area. When she reached for a glass her hand shook. She focused all her attention on pouring a glass of water and drinking it.

Georgie asked, "Where have you been all these months? Were you still in town hiding? Seeing Lucky?"

"He dumped me for his precious Elizabeth."

"So where did you go?"

"To New York with Kyle Radcliffe."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. And it was... hell on earth. What about you? You and Dillon still blissfully happy."

"Far from it. When I transferred to Harvard-"

"Harvard? Figures."

"Dillon and I grew apart. And since I have been back...this little one is all I can think about. " Georgie looked down at the baby who was now calm in her arms.

"All I think about is what a mess this all is." Maxie said.

Georgie looked up. Their eyes met and held.

Maxie said, "I saw the picnic basket in the paper."

"Dad will know that it is ours." Georgie said

"He probably already does."

"So?"

Maxie set down her drink and walked over to Georgie. She stroked the baby's hair. A tear fell from Maxie's eye.

"Don't cry." Georgie said but the tears were already forming in her eyes too. "I just don't know how to make this right."

**Later that night, Patrick said to Robin**. "You pop the popcorn and I will rewind the tape in the Nanny Cam."

"I'm not watching that. I installed it for when a Nanny we don't know babysits not my own cousin."

"Aren't you curious?"

"I trust Georgie." Robin walked to the kitchen and poured two glasses of wine.

"I'm watching it." said Patrick as he got the tape ready to view.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not taking any chances with Angel Baby. I want to be sure she is getting the best care possible. I care about that little girl."

"I know you care." Robin said softly " She knows you care. We both love you."

His eyes met hers. He smiled and looked down. "I'm still watching it."

When the tape came on he watched for a few moments, then fast forwarded until Maxie came on.

"Isn't that your missing cousin?" he asked

Robin, carrying her glass of red wine, walked closer. "Yes, it is. Mac will be thrilled she is back."

Patrick turned up the volume. They listened to the whole conversation.

When they heard one girl say, "No one can know this is my baby." Robin dropped her glass.

Red wine spread across the floor, rolling over the shards of glass.

Patrick said, "Damn her. I can't believe she abandoned her baby."

Robin breathed out " I'm raising my cousin's child."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty one

Robin ignored her first instinct to call Mac. Instead she stayed up all night talking to Patrick. They vowed to not tell anyone for now.

Robin got dressed, at dawn, and picked her daughter up out of the crib. "Oh sweetie, I don't want to lose you."

After changing her diaper and feeding her Robin kissed the baby's head and then carried her over to Patrick, who was still in bed.. "Can you stay with Isabella? I have to go talk to my cousin."

His voice squeaked when he asked, "Me? Alone?"

Robin smiled for the first time since dinner the night before. "A surgeon like you should be more than capable of taking care of an infant."

"The two things are not even remotely related."

Robin plopped the baby onto his lap. Patrick gently placed his hands at the child's waist.

"You'll do fine." Robin said "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Should I pack a bag?"

Robin gave him a questioning look.

He added, "We will leave this town, state and country behind before I allow anyone to take this baby from us."

Awed Robin asked, "Us?"

Patrick said, "Yeah."

Robin kissed him. "Don't pack yet. I'll let you know."

"Tell mommy good bye." Patrick told the baby "Tell mommy you love her and don't want any other mommy ever."

Patrick eyes meet Robin's. He said, "I love you, you know that right?"

"Yes, I do. But I love hearing it."

Patrick told her, " I love you and your daughter. I want to be here."

"Good because we need you." Robin gave him another kiss, kissed the baby's head and left.

Once they were alone, Patrick asked Isabella, "So, what do you like to do?"

He placed his ear to her mouth. "Watch Nascar, did you say? Me too."

He used the Tivo to turn on the race. "That's Dale Earnhardt. We like him."

The baby smiled at him. Patrick cuddled her back close to his chest so she could face the TV. "I can tell you are going to be a big fan of racing, kid. Just like me. This will be our thing. And we will win your mom over one day and make her a fan, too. Don't worry I know how to talk her into things. It will all work out."

She grabbed his finger. He said, "I promise it will be okay."

The night before, Georgie went straight from babysitting to Kelly's to meet Maxie. They had agreed Maxie would come home with her that night so Mac and Felicia could see for themselves she was alive.

Georgie pounded on Maxie's door but there was no answer. She got Mike to unlock it but Maxie wasn't inside. While she waited there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Max."

Georgie opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Is your sister around? I've been really concerned for her lately."

"She's not here. I hope she hasn't-"

"What?"

"Done something drastic." Georgie's heart pounded in her chest. All she wanted was her family to be happy. But no matter how much juggling she did someone would be disappointed, broken hearted, let down. She didn't know how to give everyone what they needed.

I can't bear this! She thought

Max left and Georgie waited till midnight but Maxie never came back. Georgie had to leave and go home so her parents wouldn't worry. Every action in her life was dictated by that desire these days.

The next morning, Georgie, who hadn't slept all night, answered the door after Robin rang the doorbell.

"We have to talk." Robin said, her expression grave.

"Is everything okay?" Georgie asked

Robin walked inside and glanced around to make sure her aunt and uncle were not nearby. Then she spun around and hissed, "I know the truth. I know who my daughter's birth mother is. When were you planning to tell me?"

A few hours later, Jax approached the door of Robin's apartment, lifted his hand to knock, and then stopped in mid motion. He heard singing drifting into the hallway.

"My wish for you is that your life becomes all that you want it to." Patrick sang "Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small. You never need to carry more then you can hold. And while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish.." ( Rascal Flatts)  
Jax smiled. His daughter would be well loved by Patrick, just like Jax always suspected. The little girl who started life alone now had an abundance of love in her life. And it made Jax happier than he had ever been. Something finally worked out right. Whoever put her in the park, even though it was the wrong place to ever leave a baby, had made this all possible. By the grace of God, the baby still found a home and huge family.

Jax knocked.

A moment later Patrick opened the door, holding the baby, with a rag thrown over his shoulder. "We're burping." he said

"Fun."

Patrick moved aside and Jax walked in. Jax asked, "Is she ready for the zoo?"

"Zoo? Um, sorry, I didn't know you had plans to take her. She is kinda caught up in the outcome at Talledega right now."

Jax had know idea what that meant. "Is that something to do with Sesame Street? I wasn't aware she was watching TV already."

"Oh, she kinda drools in the general direction of the televison but I know it's sinking in. It's never too early to educate a child in Nascar."

"Racing?"

Patrick sat back down on the couch, patting the baby's back. "What else?"

Jax said, "Oh, okay. Well, can I join you two? I really was looking forward to spending time with my girl."

"Why not? Beers in the fridge."

"I'll just stick with bottled water." Jax grabbed one and sat down. The baby burped.

Both men congratulated her.

Patrick thought about asking Jax if he wanted to hold her but Patrick didn't want to let her go. He laid her down on his lap, so she was looking up at him.

"I hope you don't feel offended Robin asked me to be Isabella's father." Jax said

Patrick didn't answer.

"Because I hope we can all be close friends in the future. We're family now, after all." Jax added "You will be just as big of an influence on her life as I am. You can teach her science and sports and I will handle hiking, nature, and when she's over twenty- one playing baccarat."

"You think it will be easy? Sharing the responsibilities ?"

"I think it will be worth it, don't you?"

Staring into the eyes of the child he now thought of as his daughter, Patrick said "Yeah, I do."

Patrick's pager went off.

Max sat on a stool at Kelly's. His fingers drummed the counter. He was nervous as hell about where Maxie might be. He decided to give her five more minutes to come home and then go look for her at the boxcar.

Lea came in and said, "Hey, big guy, still no luck tracking her down?"

He turned and said "It's Max and no. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"I've been at every AA meeting in town listed on the net. She wasn't at any of them. I checked the docks and park too. Because whenever she talked about home it seemed like everything happened in those two places." Lea sat down on the stool next to him. "So where do we look now?"

"We?"

"I need to help Maxie. Why do you think I've stayed in this hick town? I owe her for pulling my ass out of a crack house six months ago and forcing me into rehab. I'm going to stay here till I know she is back on track."

"All right. You can come with but only if you tell me everything about what happened to Maxie in New York." 

They stood up and left Kelly's.

"You sure you ready to hear all that?" Lea asked "It's far from pretty."

"Either is my job. I can handle it. So start talking, Lea."

Robin was speaking to Georgie when her pager went off. She made a call and then said, "We will finish this later. Do not tell Mac anything yet... I hope this doesn't give him another heart attack."

Georgie, with tears on her face, nodded. 


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter twenty two

Lulu hadn't been able to sleep the night before. Dillon cried when she had said, "Our baby is dead."

Why do I have to keep making that man cry? Lulu thought, miserably

She cared more about him than anyone else, outside her family, yet she felt she hurt him so often.

Whether she had told him a lie or the truth last night, she could see now, either answer would have made him suffer. He would never again look at her the same.

She crept into his room around 8 am, while he still slept, and stared down at him.

"Love you," she whispered "Good bye."

Dillon heard the words and they became part of the dream he was already having about her. He pulled her close, in his dream, and kissed her, saying, "I love you, too. I don't think I ever told you that, have I, Lulu? But I do. I love you."

ROBIN and Patrick were both paged to go into work. The local mobsters had a shoot out in the park, in broad daylight, and there were bodies to be patched up.  
While they worked, both of their minds kept drifting back to Isabella.

A FEW HOURS LATER, across town the birth mother of Angel baby stood on a bridge. No one would be driving by anytime soon because this was a farm road on the far side of town.

She climbed over the edge and held on to the metal railing with her fingertips. Her toes dangled over the minuscule ledge. Only one half of step and she could fall into heaven. If God let her in.

She didn't cry. She didn't beg for forgiveness or mercy. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pictured the best moments of her life. Then she pictured the eyes of the child she gave birth to.

Make this right, make this right, make this right, ran through her mind in a voice that wasn't hers.

And soon the words seemed to be in the wind- Make this right, make this right, make this right-whispering it in her ear.

Make this right...

JAX took Isabella to the Zoo. When he went back to the Metro Court the desk clerk said, "Sir, a woman registered this afternoon for the executive suite and she requested you visit her room at your earliest convenience."

Jax asked, "Some kind of VIP? What's the name?"

"Mrs. Morgan."

Morgan? Jax thought as he pushed the stroller into the elevator. Could she be related to Chloe Morgan?

He went up to the room and knocked on the door.

It opened and he said, "It's you."

Their eyes met and held. Jax said, " So you kept his name?"

"Just as an alias. I hoped to keep my visit low profile. I've been modeling again."

"I know. The billboards are all over New York City."

"And the paparazzi can be a hassle." Brenda looked down into the stroller "Oh my! My god daughter is too cute. I have to hold her."

Jax watched as Brenda picked her up.

She said, "I heard you agreed to be her father. That's amazing. Jax. I'm really happy for you."

He figured he would hate her on sight if he ever saw her again, that he would see her kissing Sonny in his mind. But he didn't. He was finally over it and all he could think of was his future, his daughter, and making the most of every day he got to be her dad.

ALICE opened the door at the Quatermaine mansion and let Nikolas in.

"Here to see Emily?" she asked

"No. Dillon." Nik said. He walked past her into the living room. "There you are! What the hell did you do to her this time?"

Dillon stood up and said "What? Did something happen to Lulu?"

"You tell me. I am not the one she is running from."

"Running where?"

"Back to Miami. I chartered a jet for her. Though, I didn't want to. Lulu wouldn't even let me take her to the airport. She was a wreck."

Panicked, Dillon asked "Was she crying? Is she hurt somehow?"

Nikolas said, "She had that brokenhearted look in her eye again, Dillon. The one that means you don't want her. Why do you keep playing with her emotions?"

"I didn't mean to do that." His heart ached at the thought of Lulu being hurt. He corrected his statement, "I didn't do that. I wouldn't."

"I only came here in case you cared enough to step up to the plate and go after her. I like having my sister living in town where I can see her and know she's okay. So if you love her, or even give a damn, go down to Florida and tell her so."

Dillon ran his hand through his hair. "What's her address?" 


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

The birth mother parked a block from the PCPD. She was muddy from climbing onto and off of the bridge. The leg of her jean was torn, her hair a mess.

She walked up to the front doors of the police station and inside. Her instincts urged her to turn and flee. But she ignored them and kept putting one foot in front of the other, walking toward a fate she put in motion long ago.

She thought, I have to do this! I have to say the words...

Lucky watched her walk in, looking a wreck. He saw Mac come out of his office and spot her.

Brenda sat with Isabella on her lap on the sofa in Brenda's suite. Jax sat next to her.

"Hey, Bella." she said, taking the baby's hand. "I will be the one who teaches you all about fashion. You will be the best dressed kid in kindergarten, I promise."

Knock. Knock.

"Who knows you're here? Robin?" Jax asked

Pound. Pound.

"No." answered Brenda "I was planning on stopping by and surprising her tonight. She thinks I'm coming on Sunday for the Christening."

Pound. Pound. Pound. "Let me in!"

"Crap." said Brenda

"Be nice." Jax warned Brenda rose to answer the door. "I mean it."

"You better be dressed because I am using my key to come in!" yelled the woman in the hall

Jax opened the door and Carly shook her head at him.

"My God! She already has her clutches back in you." Carly said storming into the room past him.

"Carly," Jax started

Brenda cut him off. She glare Carly an icy glare. "How did you know I was here?"

"When a Mrs. Morgan checks into my hotel I take notice! I thought it might be Sam. She wishes she was Jason's wife bad enough to fake that she was. But when I checked the security tape, LO and BEHOLD, I see it's worse. You."

"Missed you too, Carly babes." Brenda said

Jax came over and took Isabella from Brenda. "Now, now, ladies. Lets not upset the little one. Okay?"

Carly's eyes were locked with Brenda. "You had better not still be Jason's wife."

"I'm not." Brenda said "So retract the claws. I came to see Isabella."

"Just great!" Carly threw her hands up " I have to share a baby with Saint Robin, doctor and all around holy one, and now I have to share her with you too. God must be playing a bad joke on me."

"Well," Brenda said, standing up "I get how Robin and Jax are adopting Bella but where do you fit it?"

"Um," Jax said "I should have mentioned..."

Carly cut him off. "Jax and I are engaged." she lied

Brenda's eye bugged out. Jax hid surprise by looking down.

"Good for you." Brenda said through clenched teeth.

Carly folded her arms over her chest. "When are you leaving?"

Brenda smirked, "Maybe I should stay in town to be near my goddaughter, Jax, Sonny and ...Jason, of course."

Carly gave her a look of death.

Mac crossed the room at the police station and said, "Maxie! You're here? God, we've missed you, sweetie." Mac hugged her.

Maxie said, "Listen, Mac, there's something I have to tell you."

The color drained from Mac's face. Knowing that the Chief had previously suffered a heart attack, Lucky crossed the room to them to check on him.

Mac said "My office. Now."

Maxie took a step back. "No, don't try and protect me. I want to confess."

Her eyes connected with Lucky and she said "But I will only make a statement to Officer Spencer."

Lucky said, "What's going on?"

Maxie blurted out, "I left that baby in the park."

The words hit lucky like a slap. He flashed back to sleeping with her the year before. He said, "Come with me."

Mac had tears in his eyes as he watched his daughter led into the interrogation room. Before the door swung shut he heard, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law..."

Lucky finished reading her the Miranda rights and then cuffed her to the table. He sat across from her.

He asked, "Is the baby mine?"

Dillon dialed his cell phone. He had just boarded the ELQ jet. Grandfather had flatly refused to let him borrow it but Tracy over ruled him. Surprising Dillon she had said, "Go bring Lulu home. She belongs here."

But before he could face Lulu, Dillon wanted to talk to Georgie. He needed to go to Lulu as a free man, with his heart fully available to give to her. If Lulu would have it.

Dillon checked Georgie's home, the hospital, and Kelly's. But when he couldn't find her, he headed for the airport.

This was the tenth time he tried calling her. Unlike the other times, Georgie answered.

"Hello," she said.

"It's me. Where have you been all day?"

"On the train to Cambridge."

"Why? Classes can't start for months still."

Georgie sighed. "I...wanted to tell you some different way, Dillon. When I was at Harvard I..." her words trailed off. A moment passed.

"What?"

"Today some really crazy stuff went down with my family and I needed to be with someone who I could talk to. I wanted to see..."

The truth became clear to Dillon.

Georgie said, "I fell in love with someone else when I was away at school. His name is..."

"No, don't tell me. We can talk about it. But not today. Just know that I understand. Things haven't been right between us for a long time."

"You don't hate me?" Her voice was small, like she expected him to despise her now.

Dillon knew how much everyone's feeling meant to Georgie. She made them her own and tried to make the world happy. When she couldn't, she suffered. He tried to ease her mind by saying, "I could never hate you. You are stuck with me, as a friend, for life."

"You're taking this well. Too well." Georgie paused "It happened, didn't it"  
Her words were soft now. "You fell in love with her finally? You love Lulu, now."

"I think I should talk to her about that before you."

They said good bye and Dillon hung up. The pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit.

"Ready to go, Mr. Quatermaine?"

"More than ready. Get me to Miami, man." Silently Dillon added, half of my heart is there.

The image of Lulu, smiling as her blond hair whipped in the wind while they rode across the lake on the speed boat, came to his mind.

Dillon prayed it was not too late to win her love. 


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

Maxie blinked, let out a breath and looked down. She thought of how she used to try and snare Lucky with her lies and manipulations. It came easy to her. But it had also landed her here. So she told the truth this time.

"The father is Kyle Radcliffe. The baby was born in a car on the side of the interstate. I don't care..." her voice broke. "I don't care what happens to me now. I have to let my baby know the truth about herself. She deserves at least that from me."

Tears rolled out of Maxie's eyes.

Lucky stood. He left the room and came back with some tissues.

He asked, "You were alone when you had her?"

"My friend helped me. Don't ask who. Because I won't say. The baby came so quick we didn't make it to the hospital. That was my fault." Maxie sighed, " As soon as I went intolabor I freaked and made her start driving me toward Port Charles. I wanted to get to my mom. How stupid, huh?"

"Maxie." he said softly

"Don't feel sorry for me."

Lucky took a breath. He told her, "Tell me how the baby ended up in the park."

"After she was born my friend wanted to drive us to the hospital but I said no. We got a motel for a few hours. She fell asleep. I scooped up the baby and took off. I wasn't thinking straight. I was so out of it, Lucky. I don't know how I even stayed on the road. It was like it was someone else doing these things. But it was me."

"You could have called me."

"No, I couldn't have. I was too ashamed. I headed for Port Charles and saw the carnival. So many people I knew were there. And I thought... the picnic basket was in the trunk. It had been there for months since the summer before. I waited in the woods nearby until Carly found her. I knew whoever did would take better care of her than I could. I had nothing to my name except an addiction to booze."

He gave her a wide eyed look.

"I didn't drink when I was pregnant. I did that right, Lucky. I stopped drinking and drugging when I found out I was pregnant. But I didn't stop living my crazy life. I couldn't be a mom. Look at me! I'm worthless. Everyone in this town knows that."

"You're not."

She cried, "I hurt everyone. This will kill my folks. And Georgie is being eaten alive with guilt. I called her when I went into labor and confessed about being homeless and pregnant. I told her I was on my way home. When I never showed up, but a baby did and in our picnic basket, she all but knew it was mine. And now everyone else will, too."

"I can help you. You can cut a deal."

Maxie laughed bitterly. "What kind of deal can I make for murder? Because I was there when Lucas died."

MAC sat in his office, behind the desk that seemed to dwarf the room. His eyes focused on his hand, as it lingered midair over the phone, his fingers shaking.

I have to call her, he ordered himself.

With a jerk he pulled the phone off of it's cradle and punched in to numbers. He blew a hot stream of air out of his lips. Anger rolled through him. But the intensity of that did not scare him as much as the disappointed that rose up like bile, threatening to choke him, kill him before he could face another day.

His wife's sweet voice filled the phone line. Mac would give all the money in his IRA to not tell her what he had to.

"Hey, hon." Felicia answered "You coming home before midnight tonight? I miss falling asleep with you holding me."

Mac opened his lips to say that Maxie was alive, but not coming home to them anytime soon, but the words that came out were "Yeah, I'm on my way, babe."

They could have one more night before Felicia had to know about the fate of their oldest child.

One more night. That was all he had left to offer her.

ROBIN pulled off her gloves and she stood next to Patrick outside the OR.

"That's the last surgery for today," he said, exhaustion tinging his words. "Lets get changed and go deal with your cousin."

"You read my mind." she said. Her face showed signs of being tired, but her eyes were pools of anger.

How dare Maxie do this to her own child? All she had to do was turn to Mac.  
Robin wanted to feel compassion, but it struck too close to home. Isabella might be scarred for life over Maxie's irresponsibility.

In the locker room she peeled off her top as Patrick did the same. He reached into his locker.

She said, "Promise me something."

Looking in her eyes he said, "Anything."

For a moment Robin felt calm. He was here for her. Not running away. They were a team, as it should be.

Then she pictured Maxie walking away from the picnic basket and said, "Promise me you will bail me out of jail if I get arrested for slapping some sense into my cousin."

He smiled and pulled on his shirt. "You won't do that."

Robin got changed. "Just get the bail money ready. I'll do whatever I have in order to protect the people I love."

She walked out of the locker room. He said, softly, " Me, too." 

Author's note- I made Maxie the mom and Kyle the dad so that neither would be fit to take Angel baby back. Kyle is dead and Maxie has to overcome legal issues from the hit and run, her drinking, and her own mental health issues before she can have a child.

Georgie or Lulu might be able to, with the help of their family, take the baby if they were the mom. But Maxie just can not, not in the state she is in. Overall, I also think it makes Isabella most secure with her adopted parents to not have a birth father like Dillon or Lucky who could claim custody. 


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

MAC was leaving the police station when Robin and Patrick walked in. The look she gave him said it all: She knew Maxie was the birth mother of Isabella.

Robin stilled. She gave him a wary look.

Mac said, "You're not going to lose your daughter."

Her voice was strained when she said, "How did you find out?"

"Maxie is here. She confessed."

Patrick said, "Saves us from tracking her down. I know she is your daughter but she can't get away with this."

"She won't." Mac said, his face looked tired, as if he aged twenty years in the last few hours.

"We came here because we couldn't find Georgie and had no idea where Maxie was. I didn't know how I was going to tell you this, Uncle Mac. I'm so sorry."

They hugged.

Patrick said, "I want to see Maxie."

Mac said, "I can't allow that. But Robin may go in alone if she wants."

Robin said, "I don't want to...but I think I need to."

GEORGIE was riding the train to Cambridge. She was desperate to get away from Port Charles, the weight of all the lies and secrets finally becoming too much to bear another moment. If she could just get to Greg, who was the one person there for her while she was at Harvard, this would all be all right.

Though he might hate her too, she feared, for breaking his heart and going back to Dillon.

If Greg turned his back on her, she would feel completely alone in the world.

She prayed the note she left for her parents made up from some of the pain they were feeling now. There was just one thing left to do.

She dialed her cell phone and said hello when the woman answered.

Lulu said "I can' t help you anymore with your drama, Georgie. I am not even in Port Charles. So, sorry, but you're on your own now."

"Robin knows, it's over. But I wanted to thank you for keeping quiet."

"After all I went through, all I am still going through, because the Quatermaines found out I was pregnant, I wouldn't spill anyone else's secret. Maybe Isabella would have been happier if she never knew the truth. If she thought she was Robin's."

"That's not an option now. And I," Georgie's eyes filled with water, "can't do a damn thing to help my family."

"Take care of yourself, Georgie. If you don't you will drown under the weight of other people's problems and judgements. I should know."

"I'm trying to."

"Dillon will be there for you," Lulu said. Her eyes moved to stare out the window she was standing next to. The waves lapped the shore. It was beautiful here, beautiful and lonely. Lulu sighed.

"Dillon... is a good guy. He's easy to love. We both know that. Sometimes...it's just not meant to be though."

"Ok, Georgie, I get it. I got to go. Bye." Lulu hung up and turned off her phone.

She thought, Dillon has his soulmate already. So, why does my heart keep telling me that he should be mine?

MAC stood outside the interrogation room, watching Robin and Maxie inside, when Max and Lea walked up.

"Commissioner," Mac said "I need to speak with you concerning your oldest daughter, M.J."

Mac glared at him. "M.J.?"

"Maxie, I mean. I have reason to believe she may have done harm to herself. This is the last place I want to be but if she is not found soon it may be too late. " Max said "You need to put out a APB for her."

"You are telling me my job?" Mac roared at him, thankful to have a outlet for his anger "How in the hell do you even know my daughter?"

"Sir, I'm Lea." She said, butting in to diffuse the situation. "I lived in New York with Maxie and Kyle and other friends. We helped each other to survive and I care very much about your daughter. I found this note in her room at Kelly's, it was in a desk drawer. I think she didn't want us to find it right away."

Mac took the note. It read:

This will over be over soon. I'm not good enough to be anyone's friend, daughter, sister. And especially mother. I love you all. I love you so much. You shouldn't cry because I am gone. It's best this way. Mom and Mac- you were great parents. DO NOT blame yourself.

Georgie- there is no better sister in the world. You couldn't have done anything to change this.

Robin- I am glad my baby ended up with you. I've always admired you and she will grow up doing the same. Don't tell her about me. Spare her that.

Lea- you're my best friend. Crazy, huh? After how we help and hurt each other over and over. Still you did try to save me. Thank you for that.

Aunt Bobbie- you should never have lost your child. He should be here. If I make it to where he is, I promise to hug him for you. I can never tell you how sorry I am he left that day instead of me.

And Max- what can I say? You were out of my league from the start. I couldn't be anything but the sad eyed girl. That's me. But you were the best guy I ever got to love. Do me one last favor? Forget about me and move on. Find a decent woman and have a couple kids. Get a new job! And be happy, okay?

I have to go and do this now. Be with Lucas. I love you all with all my heart and soul. Maxie.

Mac turned away and wiped he eyes. He said, "Maxie didn't go through with it. She came here and confessed." He pointed toward the window and Max and Lea walked over and looked into the interrogation room.

Max said, "I want to see her."

Mac said, "Maxie seems to think you were good to her. Thank you, if that is true. But my daughter has very bad taste in men. And I will not allow her to fall in with the mob. If you care at all about her, do not ever speak to her again. Let her start over now."

Max said, "Can I pay her bail at least?"

"I will handle that. Her mother and I will take care of her now."

Max turned to Lea, he let out a breath and said "I guess I better go then. Do you want a ride?"

"No, I need to stay here and see Maxie."

Max said, "Tell her I said I'm still on her side. Will you do that for me"  
Lea nodded then hugged him. "We'll talk later, okay, big guy?"

Max nodded. He looked through the window at Maxie for a moment, then turned and left.

Lea said to Mac, "He really is a sweetheart and loves Maxie."

"He is a mobster. All the love in the world can not stop a bullet."

Lea let out a breath. "Could I speak to Maxie?"

"It will have to wait. First I want to ask you about the day Isabella was born. You need to make a statement about your part in this crime."

Lea's eyes closed briefly. She thought, No one is getting out of this without paying for their sins.

ROBIN sat across the table from her cousin. "Okay, now I know how you came to put her in the park. But, Maxie, I do not understand WHY? Why would you risk her life like that? And then stay in town and not tell anyone? Why did you not turn to your mom or sister? Mac would lay down his life for you. Why did you turn from everyone who loves you?"

Maxie sobbed, looking down, "I'm not worth loving. Just take Isabella and raise her."

"There is no doubt about that much. Get this straight, she is my daughter. Understand?"

Maxie nodded." I want her to have you. You can be a good mom. Just forget I ever existed."

Robin glared at her. But she felt her anger draining into sadness. She reached for her cousin's hand, which was handcuffed to the table.

"I can't do that, Maxie. And I don't want to. Isabella needs you and Georgie. One day she will be a teen and all you two went through you can tell her so she can make better choices. Plus, I will not keep her birth parents a secret. In this town, it would come out anyway. But you need to understand that Isabella needs a good role model in her birth mom. She will feel connected to you. Like who you are decided something about who she is. So you have to pull your life together, for her."

Maxie looked up. She nodded. "I don't know if I can."

Robin squeezed her hand, "You can." 


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Author's note- I finished writing this fic on Monday. I am posting two chapters today, then I will post the final two later this week. The story is slightly longer than I expected . I hope you like the conclusion I have crafted.

LUCKY left work but didn't go home. Instead he sat in his car and made a call on his cell phone. "Alexis? Yeah, it's Lucky Spencer. I need a favor. Can you come to the police station right away?"

A FEW HOURS LATER, JAX was sitting in his hotel suite, with angel baby asleep in his arms, when the phone rang.

Carly answered it, spoke for a few moments, and then hung up. When she looked at Jax, his heart sped up.

He asked, "What's wrong? Who was that?"

"Mrs. Walker. The police just contacted her. They know who the mother of angel baby is. She said we need to bring Isabella to her office in the morning."

"Why? Does her birth family want her back?" His voice was panicked, his eyes shot down to look at his daughter. Such a beauty, his little girl. She had to stay his little girl, or else, Jax was sure, his heart would break in such a way that it could never be put back together again.

"I don't know." Carly said, his voice shaky. "Can they do that? No! It's not right. They can't have her! We could run away."

Jax whispered, "We can't do that to her."

"I hate Maxie Jones!" Carly wailed, tears falling form her eyes.

"Hold on, did you say Maxie? Maxie is her mother?" Jax asked "Then who is the father?"

Carly's face froze. "I have an idea of who it could be...damn it. Your daughter may not just be a Jones."

Their eyes met and Carly continued," Isabella could be a Spencer, too. Maxie had an affair with my cousin Lucky."

Jax let out a breath. How could he fight two families in one small town all by himself?

"I need to call Alexis." Jax said

LULU sat on the stairs of her beach front condo, staring past the sand into the sky, a wild mix of colors caused by the setting sun as it crept ever closer to the ocean.

She was absorbed in memories, picturing a summer when she fell so deep in love with a guy that the rest of her life would forever bear the scar of losing him- though, in truth, had she ever had him?

Was there a moment, one second even, when he had loved only her? Lulu didn't know. It had always seemed to her that she was trying desperately to drag Dillon away from Georgie and over to her. The tug of war exhausted her, because she didn't want to have to fight it. It was beneath her. Yet, she did it- cause he was Dillon and her crazy heart kept saying it needed him.

Her mind was so wrapped up in thinking about him that when she noticed him standing at the end of the stairs, twenty steps down from her on the beach, Lulu was sure she was imagining him.

But then he spoke, "You left without saying good bye."

"Good bye."

He started climbing the stairs, she stood up.

"That's the thing, Lu, I don't want to say good bye."

"We don't always get what we want, Dillon. You need to go back home to...her. Just go and stop making this so hard."

"No."

She cocked her eyebrow at him, her voice challenged him when she asked, "No? Why the hell not? Is this your new favorite hobby since you dropped film making? Messing with my mind for the sport of it? Save your 'I'm your friend, Lulu.' speech. I've had enough of being your friend. All I want now is to not see you anymore."

She turned and walked inside the condo, leaving Dillon on the top stair with a look of heartbreak on his face.

JAX hung up his cell phone. "All I get is voice mail when I call, Alexis. I am going to have to find a different attorney if she does not get back to me soon. I want to know my rights before I walk into that meeting with the social worker in the morning."

"Get a shark. Someone who plays dirty," Carly suggested "I learned a long time ago that you can not be nice and be a winner."

"That is not always true."

"Jax! This is not the time to be civil, understanding or noble. You had better fight your ass off to keep Izzy with you and Robin."

He looked at the baby that Carly was holding, her heart shaped mouth, her few strands of light brown hair, they way Isabella's eyes could now focus on them. She knew who her family was: Robin, Patrick, Jax and Carly. She had grandparents that adored her in Anna, Noah and Robert. And On Sunday, at the Christening, she was supposed to meet Lady Jane. Isabella had a two homes, two stand in big brothers in Micheal and Morgan, and a huge group of people willing to do anything to keep her with them, to give her only the best life had to offer.  
Carly said. "If you want me to I can talk to Lucky. But don't back down,. okay? You have to be willing to fight for her."

"Believe me I plan to," Jax said.

DILLON pulled open the screen door at the condo and followed Lulu inside.

"Hey!" he called after her as she stomped into the bedroom.

"Go back home!" she flung over shoulder

"Come back with me!" He called out, his voice as ticked off as hers.

Lulu was about to slam the bedroom door when she stopped and said, "That is not my home. Not right now. Maybe never again. I... need more time. Give it to me, okay?"

Softly, Dillon said, "I can't."

Lulu groaned and spun away. She walked further into the bedroom and sat on the bed. "Ugh, Dillon. I am so tired of you feeling sorry for me. I'm not your pet project, 'The Save Lulu Experiment.' Okay? I can get over what happened alone. I can...get over you. Give me some more time. Go back to Port Charles and live your life. Go to school. Give up this ridiculous business major and follow your heart." Her voice softened. "Go for what you love. I want you to do that. Make your life about what you have, not what you don't."

"I am, that's why I am here." He crouched in front of her on the bed.

"I don't get it." her eyes were confused.

Dillon whispered, "I'm going for my love. What I can't live without. You, Lesley Lu Spencer. You're who I love."

"No, I'm not." She said, shaking her head. Her eyes told him she wanted to believe it but couldn't risk hoping.

He stood and pulled her to her feet. His hand held hers when he said, "Yes, you are. I'm a fool for not saying this a long time ago. Maybe it would all be different if I did. But you're a lot braver than I am. I didn't know I could change my whole life... but then you showed up and did it for me."

"I ruined your life. You lost...oh, god, Dillon. You lost your chance to be a dad because of me. You lost your will to try and be a director. You lost..."

"I gained you."

"That's not much of a trade."

He smiled, then his lips were on hers. Lulu tried to move away, but her mind lost out to her heart and she melted into him.

Dillon rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "You are worth more than any other dream I thought I wanted. Don't tell me I don't know who I love. I do. And it you, Lulu. Only you."

Finally. That is the one word that drifted though Lulu Spencer's mind at that moment. And then her lips were moving back toward his, not waiting to think anymore, she wanted to feel. To feel loved by the one guy that made her think risking it all just might be worth it.

THE NEXT MORNING, Mrs. Walker sat behind her desk. In the chairs in front of her sat Robin, Patrick, Jax, and Dara Jensen- attorney at law.

Robin held her daughter in her arms.

"The adoption is not final," Mrs. Walker said "We haven't been before the judge yet. So if the birth family chooses to go for custody they could petition the court for a hearing."

"Mac and Felicia have promised not to do that," Robin told her.

"Those are Maxie's parents, right?" Mrs. Walker said, reading over her paperwork.

"Right," Patrick said "So there is no reason this should affect Robin's having custody. Just because we know who are biologically related to Izzy doesn't change who her parents really are."

"I completely agree," Dara said. "The child is in a secure home environment with an abundance of love from all three of her primary parental figures. Considering the charges facing Miss Jones I don't think there should be any problem having a judge signing off on terminating her parental rights."

Mrs. Walker said, "Miss Jones is not the only person who may have a vested legal interest and, maybe even, right to claim custody. I had to inform the parents of Kyle Radcliffe, who Maxie is naming as the father, about the existence of the child. Also, I have spoken to a-

Her words were cut off by a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said

Alexis and Lucky walked into the room.

Mrs. Walker stood up and shook their hands.

"What is going on here?" jax said, a rising sense of panic in his tone.

"I was just about to explain about your concerns, Officer Spencer." Mrs. Walker said

FELICIA held Mac's hand as he rang the doorbell at Bobbie's house. Felicia's face was pale, her expression similar to someone who just survived a natural disaster. Long minutes passed before Bobbie opened the door.

Felicia could hear the sound of Lucas, Georgie and Maxie playing in the background of the house, running up and down the stairs, yelling "Tag!" and "Ready or not here I come!" during a game of hide and seek.  
The sound of them being young and innocent, the memory of a time when everything was still perfect.

Bobbie asked, "It's kind of early, isn't it?" She looked like she had just crawled out of bed, except she was fully dressed, in the same suit she wore the day before. Her eyes connected with Mac, and suddenly took on a terrified expression. "What is it? What happened? Is it Carly? Luke? Not the kids! Oh god, don't tell me this." She spun on her heel and went into the living room.

They could see her hands shaking.

Felicia said , softly, "No. No. It's not that. They are all fine. We came to talk to you about Lucas."

"Together?" Bobbie asked "At nine in the morning? Did... do you know... who it was?"

"Someone confessed to being in the car at the time Lucas was hit last fall." Mic said

Bobbie collapsed onto the sofa. The next word was hollow, "Who?"

Felicia sat next to her. She took Bobbie's hand. "A young man named Kyle Radcliffe was driving the car. But he wasn't alone...Maxie was with him."

Bobbie thought back to the ugly scene with Maxie at the bar, she thought of all the birthday parties she threw for Maxie, of how Lucas loved her, how they were so close as cousins, she thought of BJ, and then Bobbie put her hand in her hands and sobbed.

ROBIN felt her body becoming weak as she looked at Lucky, she gripped her daughter a little tighter.

Her eyes met Patrick's. Though he was trying to be strong for her, she could see fear creeping into his expression.

Not long ago neither of them thought they were ready for a kid. The idea was not even on the edge of their mind. Being in love, being doctors, being young and unsure about what the future held, was enough of a challenge for both Patrick and Robin. But now that they had Isabella, they both knew she was what they wanted their future to look like.

Isabella brought into tight focus what they were to each other- family. Their was no more playing around about if they were committed or not. They were, to each other and her.

Patrick reached for her hand.

Alexis said, "My client..."

Jax butted in, " Your client? You could have called me about this!"

"There wasn't time. I'm sorry," she said, her eyes meeting his for a moment. And then she took back on her all business voice, "My client Lorenzo Lucas Spencer Jr. has petitioned the court for a DNA test of the minor child who was found in the park on the night of June..."

Patrick angrily corrected her, "Her name is Isabella Angel Scorpio Jacks Drake."

Alexis said, "Until she is adopted, I'm sorry, but no it is not."

Robin finally found her voice, she asked "Why don't you think Kyle is the father?"

Gently Lucky told her, "He might be. I just have to know for sure. I can't trust anything Maxie says. And I think we should get this all cleared up as soon as possible."

Robin, looking directly in his eyes, asked "Would you try and get full custody if you are the birth father?"

"Would you let me see her if I was?" Lucky asked

Robin said, "Yes! Of course. Just don't take my daughter from me. Please, Lucky try and see she is better off..."

Dara jumped in with "Hold on a moment. We will not entertain custody negotiations at this time. In fact, I don't think there should be a DNA test. We plan to file for a temporary injunction to stop any medical procedures from being performed on the baby. Her father, according to all the legal documents we have at this time, has been established to be Mr. Jasper Jacks. And he will be pursuing every legal option available to him to keep it that way."

"I just want to know the truth!" Lucky said

Robin let out a breath, "We all need to know that. Izzy needs to know that. Jax, please don't fight this. I want what is best for her and having the people who love her in court is not it."

Jax looked down, trying not to cry here in this room full of people. He couldn't even look at his daughter, or he knew he would lose it.

Jax said, harshly, "Do the damn test then."

Author's note- I figured no one is going to trust Maxie. She lies way too often for that. 


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Elizabeth sat in the hospital waiting room with her husband on one side, and Emily on the other. Next to Emily was Nikolas. The four musketeers, except now she had two kids who were in the hospital day care center with their cousin Spencer.

And soon she might have one more. Angel baby was a miracle since the day she was born. Liz could look at her and smile instantly. Because the kid was a fighter.

But never once did Liz see Lucky in the child. Wouldn't I have known, she thought, if I was looking at his baby? Even just had a feeling?

Cara , her daughter with Lucky, looked like her daddy. She had his eyes, his nose, but her mother's hair color. Still in a room full of babies a stranger would be able to match Lucky and his daughter.

Isabella didn't look a thing like Cara. But Liz knew that didn't mean anything. Her sister Sarah didn't look like her, act like her, think like her.

What if Isabella grew up to be like Maxie?

But Liz didn't think she would. Too many people loved her and would keep her on the straight and narrow.

Emily reached for Liz's hand. Liz looked at her. "It will be okay." Emily whispered

Liz took strength in the bond they shared, and sitting there with the three people she relied on most in the world, she waited for the news that might change the rest of her life.

LUCKY was thinking about what it would mean to have another daughter. A constant remainder of his days of drugging, of the lowest point in his life. It would not be fair to think that when he looked at Isabella. 

But he was afraid he might.

Still he had to know. There was no way he would ever walk out on his kid.

So he sat, feeling torn over what to hope for, and waited for someone to tell him if he had two baby daughters, instead of just one.

PATRICK AND ROBIN waited outside of the DNA lab. Kelly said to them, "I supervised the test myself so the results are accurate. Are you ready to hear them?

Robin said, "I need to call Jax first. He should be here."

Jax answered his phone on the first ring, "Do you know yet?"

"The results are ready but we haven't read them yet. Where are you?" Robin asked

"On the hospital room."

"Jax."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to jump." He said "I have a daughter that needs me."

"Yes, you do. Can you come to the fifth floor waiting room now? So we can all hear this together?"

He let out a breath. "Maybe you should read it first. Just in case. We could always... Carly suggested we could... change the results if Lucky is the father. Listen, Robin, I know you would never break the law but this time... for our daughter...maybe we should..."

Robin felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I've thought about it but I just can't..."

Patrick gently took the phone from her. "Jax, get down here. We're reading the results in ten minutes with or without you. And stop upsetting Robin. No one is taking Izzy, no one, you hear me? It will not happen!"

Patrick knew he was taking out his own fear on Jax but it felt good to say the words aloud. It felt like it made them true.

Patrick hung up on Jax.

NIKOLAS said, "Isabella is really a lovely child. And it would be nice to have another kid in the family. Then there would be four new musketeers."

Emily said, her voice light, " I thought we were having the final musketeer!"

"You sure you want to be the mother of a Cassadine baby?" he asked "My grandmother..."

"Can go to hell." Lucky said

"Don't try to weasel out of our engagement now, Prince. You promised me a bacchanalia engagement party, a big wedding in Greece, and another child to add to our family. And I am holding you to it."

"You tell him, Em." Liz said smiling. She looked at her husband. "There is plenty of room in our lives for more love, more children and more second chances."

JUST THEN Kelly, Patrick and Robin walked in.

"We have the results," Kelly said

Everyone in the room looked at her, holding their breathes.

LULU laid in Dillon's arms, they hadn't left the bed in her condo since yesterday afternoon.

"You should move to Miami," she said

"You should come back home with me," he said.

"You should go back to film making," she said, smiling

"You should go back to school, period." he said, running his hand up her bare arm.

"You should shut up and kiss me," Lulu said

"You should.." he started

"Now, Dillon."

His body shifted over hers and his lips were once again dropping kisses on her face, neck, shoulders. She touched her jaw and brought his lips back to her mouth.

"We should stay in this moment forever," she whispered

"Works for me." Dillon said

JAX stepped into the room right when Kelly was saying "The results reveal..."

Kelly looked up and paused.

Jax thought of Carly, wishing she was here. But after the way the social worker shot down her as a possible adoptive mother for Angel baby Carly had decided to keep her involvement with Isabella quiet. So that the social worker didn't use Carly as an excuse to not allow Jax to adopt.

ROBIN was staring into Patrick's eyes, trying to find that strength she needed so desperately. And he was giving it to her, without a word. Saying he would stay right by her side, no matter what. That somehow Isabella would be their daughter, and no test could take her away.

LUCKY put his arm around Liz. She nodded at him. They were in this together. They had been through worse, they could make it, her eyes told him. And like always, Lucky believed her.

Kelly finished, "Lucky is excluded from being the father of Isabella."

Lucky nodded, taking in the news. He was surprised to feel a little disappointed but he knew things would work out better for everyone this way. He had the family he wanted, the family he dreamed of since he was a teenager, and now Isabella would have her own family with Robin, Patrick and Jax.

Robin fell into Patrick's arms. He hugged her and whispered, "See? She's not going anywhere, sweetie. She's ours."

Jax let out a long breath. That was a close one. He had felt his daughter slipping away and now she as back. He couldn't wait to sign the adoption papers and make this all legal.

Lucky stood up, "I'm sorry I put everyone through this."

Nikolas said, "You had to know, though."

Patrick said, "Well now you do."

Robin said, "Lets go get our girl. She's with my parents and Noah at his apartment."

She took Patrick's hand and started to leave the room. Then she looked over her shoulder and said to Jax, "You coming?"

"Would I ever pass up a chance to see our little Angel baby?" he smiled and left the room with them.

Author's note- okay, now it is official! I thought it was important to show Lucky stepping up and doing what he thought was right. 


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

"How did you get in here?" Maxie asked

She hadn't thought she would ever see Max again. Why would he still give a damn about me? She silently questioned herself

A guard handcuffed her to the table in the interrogation room and then he left.

Max said, "How are you doing, M.J.?"

"My dad let you see me?"

Max said, "Don't worry about it."

"Tell me."

"Lets just say Ric and I came to an understanding."

"You threatened the District attorney! Oh, Max, don't do stuff like that for me. Don't ruin your life over some girl you barely know."

He reached out and put his hand on top of hers. "I know you, M.J."

"You should forget me. Go date someone nice. Someone like my sister." She quickly added, " But not my sister because I would hate that!"

Max chuckled, "I like dating you."

"I messed up everything." Her eyes fell. She added,"That was my baby in the park."

"I read your note."

Her face crumpled. "You did?"

"And I want you to know..."

Her hand popped up, her eyes warning him to not go there. "No! Don't say anything sweet. I can't be with you, now or ever. Please don't make me think I can. I need to deal with reality now. I'm on my own."

Max took his hand off of hers and sat back.

M..J. swallowed and said, "Good bye, it was wonderful knowing you."

He watched her straighten her shoulders, close off her face, push him away.

GEORGIE knocked on the door of the apartment. Greg opened it, his face registering shock, "Hey... I can't believe you are here."

He moved aside and let her walk in.

"Should I have stayed away?" Georgie asked

"No. Not if you don't want to. I thought... we weren't an option. What about the guy back home?"

"Dillon and I... grew apart... we both..."

Greg reached out and took her hand.

Georgie said, "I can't be with him when I love you. Even if it would make everything easier if I didn't. If I could be who my parents want me to be."

Greg hugged her, "Just be yourself."

"I'm afraid to. What if she isn't as good as Perfect Georgie?"

Greg looked in her eyes, "You're my perfect Georgie, even when you piss me off or let me down. I love you, however you are. Just don't push me away again, okay?"

Georgie kissed him, letting her body say what she still found it hard for her lips to.

MAX asked M.J., "So we are ...what? No big deal? Easy to get over?"

"A nice memory," Maxie said

Max stood up.

He said, "I'll ask Alexis to represent you. She hates the mob but she is still the best lawyer in town so somehow I will convince her to take my so called blood money."

"My parents will get me someone. You don't have to save me anymore, Max. You kept me sane when no one else could and that is more than I deserved."

He put his hands on the table and leaned forward. "So you have it all figured out?"

"No. But I do know I don't want you worrying about me anymore. I'm not an unselfish person, Max, so let me do this one thing right. Let you go onto a better life not tied to a wreck like me."

"And just how do I do that? How do I stop loving you?"

She sucked in a breath and thought of when he kissed her.

M.J. said, "You don't love me. You can't."

His voice was low when he said, "I do."

She begged, "Please, stop saying all this. I can't resist over and over. Just accept what I said and leave."

Max walked around the table and crouched next to her chair. He stroked her hair, and then her cheek, a tear slid from her eyes.

"Or you could just accept what I said, and love me back." Max told her softly "How does that sound, M. J ? Because ever since the box car, I've been thinking, that's what we were probably meant to do. Love each other,"he kissed her gently "and save each other."

Maxie smiled. And for the first time in days, she had hope. 


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine 

The church was filled with guests for the christening.

JAX spotted Ned, Brooklyn and Lois walking in, along with all the other Quatermaines. He shook Ned's hand.

"Thanks for coming back to town for this, man. It means a lot," Jax said "I hope I didn't mess up Brooklyn's touring schedule."

"We shifted some stuff around. No problem. I have to be here for my own goddaughter's christening." Ned said

Lois hugged Jax. "I am so happy for you. Congrats!"

"Thanks."

Just then Robin, Patrick and Brenda walked in. Patrick had a baby carrier strapped to his chest and Isabella inside.

"Brenda!"Lois squealed

They hugged and then Robin, Lois and Brenda were talking a mile a minute.

PATRICK smiled and kept walking toward the front of the church. He walked past the second row where Anna, Robert, Luke and Tracy were sitting. Then he stopped next to the first one where Noah and a woman, dressed in a navy blue business suit, stood.

"Son," Noah said "This is Ms. Klein, the woman I told you about."

"Nice to meet you," Patrick said.

Noah was focused completely on Isabella now, her big eyes meeting his as he cooed at her.

AT THE BACK of the church, Jason, Carly, Micheal and Morgan walked in.

"This is a christening?" Jason asked "The place is jam packed. Are you sure you haven't drug me to a surprise wedding for Robin and that doctor guy?"

"Patrick. And no." Carly said "Robin is boring small town doctor. Not Britney Spears. Surprise Wedding, yeah right! Have you been watching the E! Channel again?"

Jason gave her a horrified look. "I don't watch that junk."

Carly accused him, " I saw you watching Brenda on there just last week!"

"Keep your voice down." Jason said. He put his hand on her back. "Lets just get some seats, okay? Without causing a scene? Do you think we can do that?"

Carly spotted Brenda standing near Jax. She glared at the brunette.

"There she is," Carly hissed "Go say hi to everyone's favorite ex, why don't you, Jase?"

"Maybe later. Come on, Carly." he led her and the boys to some seats, making sure he sat on the aisle so Carly couldn't jump up and scratch Brenda's eyes out in the middle of the ceremony.

Those two being in the same town, Jason thought, is a very bad idea.

ROBIN walked over to Patrick, who was now seated in the front row. She whispered, "Did you see your dad brought a date who is not Bobbie? What do you think it going on?"

Patrick smiled at her. "That's not his date. She's our real estate agent. I'm buying us a house."

"You are?" her voice was in awe. This man had a way of doing that to her.

His eyes were slightly nervous when he asked, "What do you think?"

She dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "I love that idea!."

Isabella cooed and smiled.

Robin said, "And it looks like Izzy agrees."

THE CEREMONY started, and the preacher announced Brooklyn would be singing a song.

She rose and walked to the front of the church and stood behind the microphone that was set up there.

Brooklyn sang, "I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger.

May you never take one single breathe for granted,  
And God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens.

Promise me that you'll give faith the fighting chance!

And if you get the choice to sit it out or dance-

I hope you dance, I hope you dance..."

AND IN THE FUTURE, Isabella Angel did dance.

She danced when she was two years old, being held in Patrick's arms as they swayed in front of the Christmas tree that decorated the living room of their hundred year old Victorian house.

She danced when she was seven years old, standing on the feet of her father, Jax, when he took her to her first daddy and daughter dinner at her private school.

She danced when she was fourteen, at Homecoming in the arms of Spencer Cassadine.

At sixteen she danced in a Port Charles High production of Grease, and in the audience along with her parents, there also sat Mac, Felicia, Georgie, Greg, Dillon, Lulu, Max and most of all Maxie who clapped with pride.

At eighteen years old, Robin watched when her daughter, a brown haired ballerina, danced her audition piece for Juilliard. And on that day, Robin remembered Brooklyn singing at the christening,

"Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking.

Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making.

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter.

When you come close to selling out-  
reconsider.

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance-

I hope you dance, I hope you dance I hope you dance, I hope you dance..."

Isabella danced at her wedding, spinning around the floor in the arms of her husband, of her two daddies, of her younger brother, of Micheal and Morgan her stand in big brothers who had never let her down- not even once- and she danced with her only cousin, John, the son of Jerry Jax.

YEARS LATER, Isabella watched her own daughter, Noelle , take ballet lessons.

And marveled at how far she had come in life.

Once Isabella had been somebody's baby, now she had adopted one of her own. A full circle, and it would keep circling back, wrapping them in love for life.

Isabella knew she started life in an unusual way but it made everything after that possible. It made her who she was.  
A baby in a picnic basket. A mother to her own precious child now. Her mom had given her an amazing childhood and Isabella hoped to do the same for her daughter, Noelle.

And when Isabella sat in the audience of her four year old daughter's ballet recital, her hand being held my her husband, she smiled thinking of the song her own mom used to sing to her at bedtime, "Promise me that you'll give faith the fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance-  
Dance!

I hope you dance I hope you dance, I hope you

dance!"

THE END

The song is by Lee Ann Womack.

Thanks for all the reviews! You were awesome for sticking with this story.


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